GRANIC: STABILITY PACT COMES AT THE RIGHT TIME

FRANKFURT, June 9 (Hina) - The creation of the Stability Pact is the most important endeavour of the international community in establishing peace, stability and economic development in south- east Europe, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic told Hina in Frankfurt on Wednesday. The adoption of the Stability Pact at tomorrow's meeting in Cologne would be 'a very important step for the overall security in Europe', Granic added. The draft Stability Pact comes at the right time, the Croatian foreign minister assessed. "A clear strategy is being created, including the development of democracy and the protection of human rights, economic development and reconstruction as well as security and stability in the classic sense of the word", Granic said. Croatia especially endorses the individual approach for all countries and the inclusion of as many countries as possible "from Slovenia, Hungary, Croatia, to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Albania and Romania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Greece, Turkey and, of course, Yugoslavia, once it accepts conditions set by the international community", Granic said. The Stability Pact will facilitate drawing closer to the European Union and NATO's Partnership for Peace for those countries which believe it is in their interest. For Croatia, this would mean the renewal of talks on agreements on admission to the EU and Partnership for Peace this year. Through its role in the NATO operation against Yugoslavia, Croatia proved to be a "stable, reliable political and economic ally and it will continue being such an ally", Granic said, adding it was Croatia's reliability that had strengthened its international position. (hina) jn rml