GRANIC IN NEW YORK ON CROATIA'S COOPERATION WITH OSCE, EU, UN

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic continued his working meetings in New York on Thursday, mostly focusing on issues relative to Croatia's cooperation with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the European Union (EU), and the United Nations.#L# In the morning, Granic held talks with Knut Vollebaek, Foreign Minister of Norway, the country currently presiding the OSCE. Vollebaek said the OSCE was following the pre-electoral activities in Croatia and the preparations for the impending parliamentary elections, aware of the elections' importance. Vollebaek expressed hope the elections will not be held in the Christmas-New Year period which, he said, would be not only unusual for countries of the European circle, but would obstruct OSCE's expected election monitoring. Granic also held talks with the new EU commissioner for international affairs, Chris Patten. The fact that the talks were held only six days after Patten stepped into the new office and at the time of UN's 54th General Assembly indicates how much the European Commission is interested in pursuing dialogue with Croatia. Granic and Patten discussed the setting up of a EU task force for Croatia which would not open dialogue on a joining agreement, but would make it possible for the Zagreb-Brussels dialogue to be lasting and intensify. Acquainted with the political situation in Croatia, Patten reiterated the familiar position on the importance of holding fair and free elections, and on the necessity of Croatian cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague. During talks with Slovak and Turkish Foreign Ministers Eduard Kukan and Ismail Cem, Croatia's Granic agreed on mutual support in international institutions. Granic and Cem discussed the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo, on which matter Croatia's and Turkey's views are very close. It was confirmed Minister Cem will officially visit Zagreb in early November. Granic and Slovakia's Kukan agreed it is necessary to protect and exert the rights of minorities in both countries. (hina) ha