FIRST DEPUTY PM ADDRESSES SEECP SUMMIT IN MACEDONIA

ZAGREB/SKOPJE, Oct 25 (Hina) - First Deputy Prime Minister Goran Granic on Tuesday headed a Croatian delegation at an informal summit of South Eastern Europe Cooperation Process chiefs of state and prime ministers in the Macedonian capital Skopje. According to a statement from the government's Media and Public Relations Service, Croatia strongly asserted that SEECP member- states must take a position in connection with open issues in the region which are the result of ten years of the former Belgrade regime's aggressive and expansionist policy. After two days of negotiations, a final document of the Skopje summit encourages Yugoslavia to implement a policy of good neighbourly relations, reconciliation, and mutual understanding in the region. According to the statement, the document is important since Yugoslavia, represented at the summit by new President Vojislav Kostunica, for the first time publicly accepted principles of equality and nondiscrimination for all successor states to the former Yugoslav federation. Granic said in his address Croatia had good relations with the countries in the region and that recent changes in Yugoslavia had provided conditions to improve Croatia-Yugoslavia relations. Croatia wants to establish active and full cooperation with every country in the region, and expects an impending summit in Zagreb will be another step towards achieving that goal, said Granic. He claimed that for Croatia, the issue of succession to the ex- Yugoslavia was technical and not political as it started from the principle of equality. Speaking about Prevlaka, Croatia's southern-most tip which borders with Montenegro and to which Yugoslavia has territorial aspirations, the deputy prime minister said it was a security issue which would be solved once unimpeded transit of people and goods was ensured. Granic told Kostunica insisting on establishing a democratic society in Serbia was very important. Croatia is not interested in any formalisation of relations in the region, regardless of the origin of such notions, as they do not presume the development of Croatia, said Granic. He maintained ghettoisation could have adverse effects on the entire region, and that solutions should be sought in reforms and prosperity for each country, the only way of ensuring regional stability. The Skopje summit document states that cooperation among South Eastern European countries is a good foundation for cooperation, stability, and security in the region. The participants also point out they expect a faster implementation of quick-start projects already selected within the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe. (hina) ha