ZAGREB, Nov 17 (Hina) - Croatia's Foreign Ministry on Friday issued a statement on today's talks President Stipe Mesic and Foreign Minister Tonino Picula held in New York with UN's Secretary-General Kofi Annan and General Assembly
president Harry Holkeri. Mesic and Picula outlined Croatia's standpoints as to the situation in the region, especially after recent post-electoral changes in Belgrade. "They emphasised that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, after being admitted to the UN as a new state, and as one of the successors to the former (Yugoslav federation), has to be equally treated and equally responsible in terms of succession to international legal obligations," said the statement. Speaking about Prevlaka, Croatia's southern-most tip bordering on Montenegro to which Yugoslavia has territorial aspirations, Mesic and Picula pointed to the positive steps forward which were made in open political
ZAGREB, Nov 17 (Hina) - Croatia's Foreign Ministry on Friday issued
a statement on today's talks President Stipe Mesic and Foreign
Minister Tonino Picula held in New York with UN's Secretary-General
Kofi Annan and General Assembly president Harry Holkeri.
Mesic and Picula outlined Croatia's standpoints as to the situation
in the region, especially after recent post-electoral changes in
Belgrade.
"They emphasised that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, after
being admitted to the UN as a new state, and as one of the successors
to the former (Yugoslav federation), has to be equally treated and
equally responsible in terms of succession to international legal
obligations," said the statement.
Speaking about Prevlaka, Croatia's southern-most tip bordering on
Montenegro to which Yugoslavia has territorial aspirations, Mesic
and Picula pointed to the positive steps forward which were made in
open political dialogue with Montenegro, adding such dialogue and
approach were expected of Belgrade too.
"They said the Prevlaka issue is a security and not territorial
issue from whose resolution Croatia expects normal communication
with the neighbouring state in the area, and ultimately, using
Prevlaka as a tourist region," the statement said.
"Official Zagreb has already sent an invitation to Yugoslav
authorities for the resumption of negotiations on Prevlaka," it
added.
Mesic and Picula said it was important to begin with activities
necessary to terminate UN's observer mandate on the peninsula.
Speaking about the Nov. 24 Zagreb Summit, Foreign Minister Picula
told the United Nations officials Croatia expected the development
of the "Zagreb process."
"The objectives of the Zagreb process have to be: stabilisation of
the political situation and relations, advancement of economic
cooperation, and improvement of security relations within and
among the countries in the region," the statement concluded.
(hina) ha