ZAGREB, Jan 20 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Wednesday addressed parliament on the state of the nation in 1998. As the most important achievement in 1998, President Tudjman singled out full sovereignty throughout
Croatia's territory. The priority tasks in 1999, he said, were maintaining economic and internal-political stability, Croatia's inclusion into international associations, and the elimination of obstacles for Croatia's integration with European institutions. President Tudjman stressed also important had been the signing of an agreement on special relations between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation, and ensuring the functioning of a joint Croatian-Bosnian council for cooperation. Among else, the President announced a government reshuffle towards a more rational and more efficient performance. "My principal message to the Croatian National Parliament and to the Croatian
ZAGREB, Jan 20 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on
Wednesday addressed parliament on the state of the nation in 1998.
As the most important achievement in 1998, President Tudjman
singled out full sovereignty throughout Croatia's territory.
The priority tasks in 1999, he said, were maintaining economic and
internal-political stability, Croatia's inclusion into
international associations, and the elimination of obstacles for
Croatia's integration with European institutions.
President Tudjman stressed also important had been the signing of
an agreement on special relations between Croatia and the Bosnian
Federation, and ensuring the functioning of a joint Croatian-
Bosnian council for cooperation.
Among else, the President announced a government reshuffle towards
a more rational and more efficient performance.
"My principal message to the Croatian National Parliament and to
the Croatian public at large is the following: the achievement of
prosperity for all Croatian citizens and the comprehensive
implementation of a just and social state become the major policy
goals of the leadership of the State. Of course, the achievement of
all these great and noble goals requires the united efforts of all
authorities, social classes and subjects, and nationally
responsible people."
Opening his address, the President spoke about Croatia's foreign
policy and Croatia's international position.
"In terms of international circumstances, the past year will be
remembered by specific efforts focused on preserving global peace,
but also by the presence of old, as well as new crises and
conflicts.
"In addition to the still unresolved crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina
(BH), in our part of Europe we are also faced with a new conflict in
Kosovo. This has created a new focus of instability in neighbouring
Southeast Europe, which has again involved international factors
with their opposed interests and views.
"The relation of certain international factors towards Croatia is
still ambiguous. Along with the recognition, in principle, of our
internal stability and of our constructive international role,
this relation has also been distinguished by certain unfounded and
even disproportionate pressures. Their manifestations include
attempts to engineer and impose electoral results in BH, the
renewed manipulation of NDH (Independent State of Croatia) crimes,
the political instrumentalisation of the International War Crimes
Tribunal in The Hague, the unreasonable reiteration of demands
concerning democratic and media freedoms, or insistence on the
priority importance of the Agreement on Ploce - up to the recent
creation of an incident situation along part of the border with BH.
"In this connection, it should also be noted that certain,
influential European and American circles insist on a programme of
regional Balkan integration. That would actually mean the revival
of the former Yugoslavia without Slovenia and with Albania, and
that goal should be achieved at all costs and by using all possible
means, particularly by amending electoral legislation and the
media. They are openly writing about the programme in question, and
even print maps in the Atlas for the Twenty-First Century.
In such circumstances we can be satisfied with what we have
accomplished: we have reinforced our position of a stable member of
the international community. Only seven years after the
declaration of its independence and three years after it has
overpowered aggression, Croatia has become a factor which actively
contributes to the resolution of problems in order to achieve
stability in its region.
"The presence of peace-keeping missions on Croatian soil was
completed successfully in 1998 (the UNTAES mandate on January 15,
and the mandate of the UN Civil Police Support Group on October 15).
This has irreversibly closed the period of any questionability
regarding the territorial integrity of Croatia which is marked on
the global map as an independent, sovereign and democratic State
thanks to its military victories and diplomatic successes, and its
overall reasonable policy.
"The signing of the Agreement on Special Relations with the
Federation of BH is of crucial, and even historic importance.
Another important event is the establishment of the Council for
Cooperation with BH.
"These Agreements regulate the political-legal foundations of the
relations with the Federation and with BH. They set the framework
for the lasting solution of all essential issues in mutual
relations, primarily with regard to the continuance and equality of
the Croatian people in the Federation, to the protection of the
national interest of the Croatian State, and to the establishment
of lasting cooperation based on the Washington and Dayton
Agreements.
"Last year?s second pastoral and state visit of the Holy Father to
Croatia, and the Pope?s messages addressed on the occasion to the
Catholic public, but also to the Croatian people and authorities,
have encouraged us to persevere on our way towards the
strengthening of peace, justice, reconciliation and democracy. The
Pope?s historic visit has given us a powerful impulse to persevere,
in the building of Croatia, in accordance with the principles and
values of Catholicism, as witnessed by the life and martyr?s death
of the Croatian cardinal, the Blessed Alojzije Stepinac.
"It is with satisfaction that we take note of the fact that Croatia
has resolved all the outstanding and inherited issues in its
relations with the Holy See by the signing and ratification of four
agreements, considered by the Holy See to be a model for relations
with other countries, too.
"In our relations with neighbouring States we have registered
continuous progress and a fruitful development of economic and
other forms of cooperation, but also delays in dealing with some
problems.
"Our relations with Slovenia still involve unresolved issues, such
as the determination of the land and sea border between the two
States, the issue of the Krsko Nuclear Plant, and the payment of the
depositors of Ljubljanska Banka. We hope that the solutions are
close at hand, which will certainly additionally stimulate good-
neighbourly Croato-Slovene relations.
"While progress has been achieved in the normalisation of relations
with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY), there are still
certain outstanding problems, regarding in particular succession
and Prevlaka. Belgrade is quite unfoundedly stressing Prevlaka as a
'territorial issue, while avoiding actual negotiations.
"Similarly, Belgrade is unwilling to offer the Croatian minority
the legal protection such as enjoyed by the Serb minority in
Croatia.
"During the past year Croatia has successfully chaired the Central
European Initiative (CEI), demonstrating the political maturity
and organisational capability of its diplomacy. Its new
initiatives also promoted CEI cooperation with the European Union
(EU).
"Croatian representatives are being included in Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe missions, they monitor
elections, and are elected to responsible functions in the United
Nations and the Council of Europe.
My state, official and working visits and talks with the statesmen
of Italy, Turkey, Portugal, Greece and the Russian Federation, and
the many meetings of the Prime Minister and individual ministers,
have advanced relations and expanded the scope of countries wanting
to build up cooperation with Croatia.
"The visits of Italy?s former President, Francesco Cossiga, of the
former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Baroness Margaret
Thatcher, of the former German and Austrian foreign ministers Hans
Dietrich Genscher and Alois Mock, and others, to whom we will be
durably grateful for their friendship and support in the critical
moments of our struggle for independence and international
recognition, have confirmed the devotion of many eminent foreign
politicians to Croatia.
"However, in spite of all those accomplishments, we have not
achieved the desired progress in our relations with the EU and the
NATO, which remain the strategic frames of reference of Croatia?s
foreign policy.
"The causes underlying such a state of affairs are to be sought in
unfounded objections concerning Croatia?s allegedly inadequate
fulfilment of its international commitments. The point in question
are actually varied international pressures attempting to change
the political conditions in Croatia and force it to return to inter-
state Balkan integrations, unacceptable to Croatia, within the
framework of the so-called regional approach.
"As a democratic country Croatia remains consistent in its policy
focused on its being a constructive factor in the provision of peace
and stability of the international order.
"Croatia expects the international community to accept the need and
purposefulness of our integration into Partnership for Peace, to
unfreeze the already signed PHARE Program, and to conclude the
Agreement on Cooperation with the EU and on admission to the World
Trade Organization.
"In the coming months, we attach great importance to the work of the
Croato-American groups for the implementation of the Dayton
Agreement, and to Croatia?s integration into Partnership for
Peace. We also look forward to more vigorous dialogue with the EU,
chaired by Germany, and to greater international involvement in the
realization of many reconstruction projects presented at the
recently concluded Conference on Reconstruction and Development.
"We are also faced with the pressing task of implementing the
Agreement on Special Relations between Croatia and the Federation
of BH, a matter of major political and economic importance.
"The time has come for taking the Prevlaka issue off the agenda by
completing the UN Mission of Observers on Prevlaka mandate, and for
opening the border crossings at Debeli Brijeg and Konfin, thereby
promoting the normalization of relations with the FRY (Serbia and
Montenegro).
"Croatia?s overall democratic development and the stability of its
order have created the conditions for completing the OSCE Mission
this year. Croatia would thereby be integrated into the established
international system with no risks or consequences for the
stability of this part of Europe.
"Now, with the full onset of the peace-time period, Croatia can
pursue more energetically its international relations. With clear-
cut strategic goals, aware of the high cost of our independence, we
shall build our international position as a Central European and
Mediterranean country, build up our ties with Euro-Atlantic
integrations, in particular with key countries - the US, Germany,
France, the United Kingdom, Italy, Austria, the Russian
Federation, China, Israel.
"Particular attention should be devoted to developing relations
with countries with substantial Croatian communities, and
especially to dealing with all outstanding issues in relations with
neighbouring countries.
"We also expect the essential factors of the international
community to appreciate with greater attention Croatia?s
constructive endeavours in the reinforcement of peace and the
international order."
(hina) ha jn