NEW YORK, Jan 7 (Hina) - The U.N. Security Council should clearly +and unequivocally state that Prevlaka (Croatia's southernmost +peninsula) is an integral part of the Republic of Croatia, and that +it shall not tolerate territorial
pretensions and the disrespect of +international borders, Croatia's Ambassador at the U.N., Ivan +Simonovic, said in New York on Thursday.+ Simonovic said this in a letter sent to the Security Council +President Celso Amorim, ahead of a discussion on the situation in +Prevlaka and the mandate of the UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka, +expected to take place next week.+ Croatia believes that Yugoslav authorities should be prevented in +using the UNMOP for stalling the full integration of the area into +Croatia's state, legal and territorial framework.+ "Clearly, by modifying the mandate of the UNMOP - by reducing the +number of observers and indicating an i
NEW YORK, Jan 7 (Hina) - The U.N. Security Council should clearly
and unequivocally state that Prevlaka (Croatia's southernmost
peninsula) is an integral part of the Republic of Croatia, and that
it shall not tolerate territorial pretensions and the disrespect of
international borders, Croatia's Ambassador at the U.N., Ivan
Simonovic, said in New York on Thursday.
Simonovic said this in a letter sent to the Security Council
President Celso Amorim, ahead of a discussion on the situation in
Prevlaka and the mandate of the UN Mission of Observers in Prevlaka,
expected to take place next week.
Croatia believes that Yugoslav authorities should be prevented in
using the UNMOP for stalling the full integration of the area into
Croatia's state, legal and territorial framework.
"Clearly, by modifying the mandate of the UNMOP - by reducing the
number of observers and indicating an impending end to the mandate,
and thereby releasing UN resources to areas of more pressing
concern - the Security Council should press the FRY to engage in
constructive negotiations", Simonovic said.
He also recalled that the UNMOP mandate had been extended six times
and that the Security Council had issued the same number of
resolutions concerning Prevlaka. The continuation of the UNMOP
mandate without decisive impetus from the Security Council shall be
pointless, he added.
The Yugoslav authorities have not only been stalling negotiations
for more than half a year, but are obviously not giving up their
territorial pretensions. A proof for this is a recent letter by the
Yugoslav representative in New York, Momir Bulatovic, who claimed
Yugoslavia's de facto control over Prevlaka.
"...the situation in Prevlaka neither represents a threat to
international peace and security nor a source for concern, let
alone 'psychosis or fear among the local population'", as Bulatovic
claims in his letter, Simonovic said.
While Croatia's unilateral opening of the border crossings Debeli
Brijeg and Konfin in the area of Prevlaka for the All Saints and
Christmas holiday season was welcomed by the population and
leadership in Montenegro, the federal authorities of the FRY
formally protested this act and in that manner clearly indicated
where the problem lies, Simonovic noted.
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan should submit his report on
Prevlaka mid next week. The Security Council is expected to reach a
decision on the report by the end of next week.
(hina) mm rml