ZAGREB, April 19 (Hina) - The United States and NATO appreciate Croatia's support for NATO's military operation in Yugoslavia, but its coming closer to the Partnership for Peace is still conditional on the criteria which had been set
earlier, primarily on the implementation of the Dayton agreement, a special envoy of the US President, Robert Gelbard, said in Zagreb on Monday. "The United States (and) NATO greatly appreciates the efforts of Croatia to be supportive in this endeavour", Gelbard told a news conference after his meeting with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman. "It's another demonstration of the close relationship, not just between the United States and Croatia, but between Croatia and western Europe and Euro-Atlantic institutions", Gelbard said. However, he stressed that the criteria for Croatia's admission to NATO's Partnership for Peace remained the same - the implementation of the Dayton
ZAGREB, April 19 (Hina) - The United States and NATO appreciate
Croatia's support for NATO's military operation in Yugoslavia, but
its coming closer to the Partnership for Peace is still conditional
on the criteria which had been set earlier, primarily on the
implementation of the Dayton agreement, a special envoy of the US
President, Robert Gelbard, said in Zagreb on Monday.
"The United States (and) NATO greatly appreciates the efforts of
Croatia to be supportive in this endeavour", Gelbard told a news
conference after his meeting with Croatian President Franjo
Tudjman.
"It's another demonstration of the close relationship, not just
between the United States and Croatia, but between Croatia and
western Europe and Euro-Atlantic institutions", Gelbard said.
However, he stressed that the criteria for Croatia's admission to
NATO's Partnership for Peace remained the same - the implementation
of the Dayton agreement, refugee return and the resolution of a
variety of "domestic institutional issues".
"We hope that serious progress can be made on these issues in the
short term".
Gelbard said he was "deeply unhappy by lack of progress or too slow
movement in a number of areas" in Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He expressed "extreme anger" by the speeches given last week by
generals Stanko Sopta, Ljubo Cesic Rojs, and the commander of the
Croat segment of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina Army, on the
occasion of the seventh anniversary of the Croatian Defence Council
(HVO) day in Mostar.
The speeches were "extremely antagonistic, stupid and dangerous"
toward the Bosniaks, and cannot be tolerated.
Gelbard said the programme "Equip and Train" had been cancelled due
to lack of cooperation between the HVO and the Army of Bosnia-
Herzegovina (the two components of the Federation of Bosnia-
Herzegovina Army).
"... when I hear about speeches that sound like 1992, there is no way
that I will allow any American support to proceed", Gelbard said
objecting that there were no serious efforts to integrate the
army.
"Right now, the obstacles... are in the Croat-dominated cantons",
Gelbard said.
Croatia attaches great importance to the implementation of the
Dayton agreements, as well as to the Agreement on Special
Relations, with the aim of resolving the situation in Bosnia-
Herzegovina, the President's Chief-of-Staff Ivica Kostovic said
after the talks.
"Numerous annexes to those agreements give answers to many
questions", he said.
Relations between Croatia and the United States are on an ascending
line, Kostovic assessed, adding US President Bill Clinton and
Croatia's President Franjo Tudjman have lately exchanged several
important messages on that matter.
President Tudjman has welcomed President Clinton's decision
allowing the delivery of weapons to Croatia, he said, adding that
progress in economic relations has also been welcomed.
"Croatia also appreciates the invitation to Foreign Minister Mate
Granic to attend the celebration of the 50th anniversary of NATO",
Kostovic said, adding all this "pointed to the fact that Croatia is
a factor of stability in the region".
President Tudjman and envoy Gelbard also discussed the Kosovo
crisis. Gelbard stressed that NATO had not expected the conflict to
last only several days but until goals have been achieved.
The US official expressed bitterness over the actions taken against
the Kosovo Albanians, calling them horrible, extremely brutal and
historically tragic events.
The US official today also met Croatian Opposition
representatives. He will also meet Foreign Minister Mate Granic,
Defence Minister Pavao Miljavac, and Milan Kovac, a minister in
charge of relations between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina.
During the morning, Gelbard attended the trial of a commander of the
Jasenovac concentration camp, Dinko Sakic.
(hina) rml