SYMPOSIUM STARTS ON STRATEGY OF CROATIAN SOCIETY'S DEVELOPMENT

ZAGREB, Oct 26 (Hina) - The fourth international symposium entitled "Croatia 2000 - Challenges and Chances of New Age" began in Zagreb on Tuesday. This two-day event, organised by "Intercon" company, is gathering about a hundred scientists, scholars, economists, businessmen and politicians who should discuss a strategy of the development of the Croatian society in the new century. The symposium's sponsor, Vlatko Pavletic, who is the National Sabor's President, said the purpose of this event is to gather best experts from science and the political life, regardless of their political attitudes, who can contribute to the overall development of Croatia with their ideas. During a part of the discussion on the process of globalization, Pavletic said Croatia, as opposed to other countries in transition, won its independence after the imposed war against it. Devastation caused by the Communist regime and war damage have considerably affected Croatia's position, Pavletic said adding globalization cannot succeed if it helps create "greater inequality between the rich and the poor, big powers and small nations." "Small nations mustn't be fettered, but they should be attracted by an opportunity to accomplish their development in the globalization process which they could not achieve by themselves," Pavletic said. Asserting that Croatia has no other alternative but to enter the globalization process, the Social Democratic Party's Vice President (SDP) Zdravko Tomac assessed that there were circles in Croatia who spread fear about integration of the country in association processes. "Such persons would prefer isolating us in an autocratic environment where systems of values from the 19th century will still reign," Tomac said. Croatian European Integration Minister Ljerka Mintas-Hodak said first steps had been made toward reaching modern European political, economic and defence structures, but she voiced discontent with current results. Commenting on steps which Croatia should make in the internal policy in order to come closer to the European Union (EU), she pointed to further democratisation, the strengthening of the law- based state and a market economy and respect for human rights. Mintas-Hodak added that the Government's priority tasks are to establish contractual relations with the EU very soon, to make adjustments in economy, legislation as well as to set up an adequate institutional framework and to educate and train civil servants and inform the entire public of the importance of the entry in the EU. She asserted that in the macroeconomic field Croatia did not lag behind any candidate for the admission in the EU full membership. The "Globus" weekly's editor-in-chief, Mirko Galic, believes that the problem of Croatia's failure to come nearer to European standards does not lie only in the heritage (of a former system) and war. "The real problem is a lack of political will of the state leadership to change the situation," Galic said. "We are too much engrossed in the past, and we neglect the current requests and standards of Europe," Galic said adding that ten years ago Croatia was a step ahead of other countries in transition, while at the moment it lags behind in terms of the living standard and the speed of admission into European integration. "Rhetoric heads toward Europe, while life heads toward the Balkans," said this journalist concluding that the price of the entrance into European association processes is lower than the price of isolation. (hina) mm ms