EQUAL POSITION IN SUCCESSION TO FORMER YUGOSLAVIA - SAY OFFICIALS

ZAGREB, Mar 8 (Hina) - Assistant foreign ministers of Croatia, Macedonia, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Slovenia on Monday said in Zagreb that all countries successors to the former Yugoslav federation must have an equal position in the succession process. "The joint conclusion of today's meeting is that the four successor states firmly abide by their standpoint that all states formed on the territory of the former Yugoslavia should have the same political, legislative, and material position in the succession to the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, and that the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) cannot be its automatic successor," a statement the Croatian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued on Monday said. The assistant foreign ministers, Croatia's Vladimir Drobnjak, Bosnia's Mihovil Malbasic, Macedonia's Stefan Nikolovski, and Slovenia's Roman Kirn today held a coordinating meeting, which besides the succession, tackled the Kosovo crisis. The officials supported the international community's peace activities in Kosovo, as well as FRY's inclusion into all international organisations but, they stated, only as a new member and according to stipulated proceedings which were applied to the other four successor states. (hina) ha