MINISTER: CRO. WON'T RESTRUCTURE ARMY BEFORE CHANGING CONSTITUT.

ZAGREB, Oct 26 (Hina) - Croatia has made good preparations for a reform of the armed forces but will not start restructuring them before amendments to the constitution are passed, Defence Minister Jozo Rados said on Wednesday upon returning from Slovakia. "We will not start with the restructuring as long as the fundamental competence over the armed forces remains undefined. It would be wrong to restructure now and then define those who have to pass the basic documents for the restructuring," he said commenting on a Pentagon report published by a Croatian daily earlier in the day. The report claimed President Stipe Mesic remained the most powerful and most influential individual in the state security structure, the reason why Croatia had not made any progress in restructuring the armed forces. "We have to wait for constitutional amendments, we have to wait for changing the law and tackle restructuring on the highest documents," Rados said. "Obviously, in such circumstances it was impossible to start restructuring, but I think we have prepared well," he added. Commenting on his two-day trip to Slovakia, the defence minister said Slovakia had made much headway towards NATO, was participating in peacekeeping operations and had much experience in this respect. "It is logical that we have established good relations," he said. "Besides our bilateral cooperation, which is good... we expect cooperation with Slovakia will also help us on the road to Euro- Atlantic integration." Rados assessed Slovakia had a "very advanced training centre for soldiers participating in peacekeeping operations, and soon we'll have to have one as well... They are in the restructuring stage at present, reducing the armed forces... This is where their experience is of interest to us, and ours to them, of course." (hina) ha