CROATIA IS NO BANANA REPUBLIC - HDZ SECRETARY-GENERAL

( Editorial: --> 4834 ) ZAGREB, Feb 26 (Hina) - The fourth general convention of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) was the ruling party's most successful convention to date, HDZ Secretary-General Ivan Valent told a news conference on Thursday. He rejected the accusations of certain opposition leaders to the effect that HDZ had shown intolerance and increasing right-wing orientation. Asked to share his opinion on comments by United States Ambassador William Montgomery and the US President's special envoy Robert Gelbard on Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's speech at the convention, Valent said the Republic of Croatia needed to take care of its own interests. "Croatia is no banana republic - Croatian policy is created in Zagreb and is open to cooperation with Europe and the world," Valent said. HDZ Presidency spokesman Drago Krpina discussed certain malicious interpretations, on the part of some Bosnian officials, of that part of President Tudjman's speech which dealt with Bosnia- Herzegovina. He stressed that President Tudjman had wanted to emphasise the need to protect the strategic interests of the Croatian people by building the Zagreb-Dubrovnik highway across Bosnian territory. (hina) mm as/mb 261924 MET feb 98