CRO MAIN FOREIGN POLICY AIMS ARE TO ENTER EU AND NATO - GRANIC

ZAGREB, Feb 18 (Hina) - The chief goals of Croatia's foreign policy remain the admittance to the European Union (EU) and the NATO, along with the strengthening of Croatia's economic position in the world, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said in Zagreb on Thursday. Despite everything, the full membership in the EU and the NATO, understandably with all necessary steps which have to be take in the meantime, remains our main and permanent strategic aim, Granic said addressing the Croatian National Parliament (Sabor). On Thursday, Granic submitted a report on the foreign policy as well as on the relations between Croatia and Slovenia. The discussion on the foreign policy was demanded by the benches of the Opposition Six, while the debate on the Croatian-Slovene ties was required by the bench of the Croatian Party of Rights (HSP). A difficult year is behind us, but probably a more difficult year is in front of us, and how much successful it will be depends primarily on us, regardless of the complex international relations, Granic said. Last year Croatia was not enabled to come nearer to the EU and the NATO. It was not of much help the fact that the good will had been demonstrated for fulfilling some of important demands of the international community which continuously has some new conditions for Croatia up its sleeves, Granic added. According to him, the EU still uses the criminal acts, committed in the wake of the "Storm" operation, as a pretext for not negotiating the cooperation, and the PHARE programme is still closed for the country. However, there are some indications of efforts to lift the suspension itself, he added. Commenting on Croatia's endeavours to come closer to the NATO, Granic said his country wanted to join the NATO programme "Partnership for Peace" at the beginning. He said Croatia would like to put the emphasis on the participation in international peace operations. To promote the cooperation with the United States remains one of the priorities in the spectrum of our diplomatic and international activities, the Croatian Minister said adding that the same could be applied for Croatia's ties with Germany, France and Great Britain. According to him, the Croatian-Russian relations are moving upward. Granic stressed that following the accomplishment of the fundamental goals of the state sovereignty and territorial integrity, Croatia's foreign policy, in peace-time conditions, should take direction toward strengthening the country's economic position in the world. This year Croatia should enter the World Trade Organisation (WTO) and work on joining the CEFTA (Central European Free Trade Agreement), he stressed. Granic said Croatia had been under pressure from the international community in 1998 just as in the previous years. I personally do not believe that there is a conspiracy abroad against our country. However, there are some tendencies toward keeping Croatia within the Dayton frameworks and toward not letting it - along with other countries-successors to the former Yugoslavia or within a somewhat broader composition - join the real European integration processes for a long time, Granic explained. He recalled that the EU expected from Croatia to amend the election law, introduce public television, accelerate the return of refugees and displaced people, strengthen the independent and efficient judiciary as well as to establish a stable economy with primarily the stable banking system. Speaking of the EU regional approach toward Croatia and countries pushed into the so-called western Balkans, Granic said it was more than obvious that there is a growing tendency to additionally accentuate the European usual regional approach by placing all countries of one region at the same starting line. According to this regional approach, Croatia, being the most developed country in "such post-Yugoslav" region" should adjust itself to the speed of the slowest ship in the convoy and await, together with it, the admittance to Europe, Granic added. Croatia shall not let it, Granic stressed adding that his country would advocate the assessment of achievements and progress of individual States. There are indications, even in public assessments in the EU circles, that the regional approach has to be individualised and, thereby, made more dynamic, he said. Commenting on the relations between his country and Bosnia- Herzegovina, Granic announced that the following week Croatia would hand over to the Croat-Moslem Federation its draft texts of 13 annexes to the Agreement on the Special Relations and that the first session of the Joint Council for Cooperation between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation had been convened for 5 March. Commenting on relations between Croatia and Slovenia, Granic said the two countries had several unsolved issues on which concrete progress had been achieved at negotiations. He reiterated that views on the 99.1 percent of the land border had been harmonised. Agreement on the nuclear power plant "Krsko" is about to be reached, and property and legal issues have been practically brought into accord, he added. The two parties are negotiating very calmly the transitional resolution and conditions of the advisory opinion on the border in the Bay of Piran as well as the international mediation in the solution to the Ljubljnska bank problem, Granic said. He told the parliament that Croatia would like to fully normalise relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro), but Belgrade, burdened by Kosovo and relations with Montenegro as well as by its own isolation, shows a lack of sense for the reality in negotiations on Prevlaka, Granic explained adding that Prevlaka is for Croatia merely a security issue, while it is for Belgrade a territorial question. Granic said Croatia is resolute to continue cooperation with The Hague-based International War Crimes Tribunal, simultaneously protecting "Croatian national interests and the dignity of our people and State." He added that Croatia is dissatisfied with the fact that those liable for crimes against Croats - Radic, Mrksic and Sljivancanin, as well as Milan Martic - have yet not been brought to the Tribunal, and the country will insist on their extradition and on the hand- over of Karadzic and Mladic and others responsible for war crimes committed against the Croatian population in Bosnia-Herzegovina. (hina) mm ms