NEW AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO CROATIA HOLDS FIRST PRESS CONFERENCE

( Editorial: --> 3091 ) ZAGREB, Jan 8 (Hina) - The new United States Ambassador to Croatia, William Dale Montgomery, on Thursday held his first official press conference, in which he spoke about his country's policy towards Croatia. Emphasising the continuity of American policy, Ambassador Montgomery said it was based on two main objectives - total implementation of the Dayton peace agreement and the restoration of long-term peace and stability in eastern Slavonia and the whole region. Montgomery said how the implementation of the Dayton agreement and long-term peace were tied with other aims. These included democracy in all countries of the region, market- based economies, freedom of speech and the media, respect for human rights, the return of refugees and displaced persons, implementation of the Erdut agreement on the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube River region and reconciliation between ethnic groups. "We think there needs to be real reconciliation between ethnic groups. And we believe very strongly that refugees and displaced persons must have satisfactory, durable long-term solutions to their problems," the American Ambassador said. Montgomery concluded the press conference, held at the Zagreb Press Club of the Croatian Journalists' Association, by saying how he believed these goals were similar to Croatia's. (Hina) jn mb 081808 MET jan 98