CRO FOREIGN MINISTER HOLDS TALKS WITH CLINTON'S ENVOY DOBBINS

ZAGREB, Oct 7 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Thursday held talks in Zagreb with the United States President's special envoy for Kosovo and the implementation of the Dayton peace agreements, James Dobbins. The talks, as Dobbins' with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, Defence Minister Pavao Miljavac, and opposition parties' leaders earlier, focused on Croatia's impending parliamentary elections. According to Dobbins, all talks stressed the central role the elections will play not only in Croatia's development, but also in its integration with European and Atlantic structures. "We strongly believe the elections will be fair," Foreign Minister Granic said after the talks. Granic said the ruling party would resume negotiations with the opposition on new electoral legislation. Also discussed was the issue of audio-visual services which France had raised as an obstacle to Croatia's access to the Word Trade Organisation (WTO). The U.S. is expected to contact France to settle the dispute. "The U.S. has supported Croatia's access to the WTO," said Granic Dobbins said he had stated during his talks in Zagreb that the U.S. appreciated the positive role Croatia had played in the advancement of regional stability, as well as the important signal Croatia was sending through the development of democratic institutions and the rule of law. The U.S. official also commented on the recent verdict by the Zagreb County Court which sentenced Croatian World War Two concentration camp commander Dinko Sakic to 20 years in prison, the maximum under Croatian law, for war crimes against civilians. Dobbins said the sentence represented a model for the region. (hina) ha