SIMONOVIC CALLS ON INT COMMUNITY TO PROVIDE FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE

( Editorial: --> 1871 ) WASHINGTON, Feb 13 (Hina) - The Croatian Ambassador to the United Nations, Ivan Simonovic, Friday called on the international community to financially support the economic revitalisation of the Danube river region of eastern Croatia. Simonovic gave a statement on the occasion of a UN Security Council presidential statement on Croatia issued today. I hope that in this new stage of relations with Croatia the international community will not stop at monitoring and following the progress in the development of the rule of law, democracy and strengthening of human rights, said Simonovic. The ambassador hoped the international community would demonstrate its care for eastern Croatia and support to the area's revitalisation at a donors' conference set to be held in Vukovar later this year. It is unjustified for Croatia to be among countries which gave more assistance than they received, considering that Croatia was itself a victim of aggression and destruction and has given assistance to Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Croatian ambassador said. Simonovic assessed that the common interests of Croatia and the international community in the Danube river region would be successfully realised through reconstruction and development, as well as through the inclusion of the whole country in the European surrounding. With the completion of the UNTAES mandate, the situation in eastern Croatia ceased being an issue of international peace and security and will therefore not be discussed in the Security Council, Simonovic said. But, he added, it would continue to be closely followed as a key test of Croatia's maturity to take the place in the international community that it wants. (hina) ha 132319 MET feb 98