CROATIA & BOSNIA SHOULD BECOME FULL MEMBERS OF NATO - AMBASSADOR

( Editorial: --> 1080 ) ISTANBUL, May 2 (Hina) - Turkey and Croatia can considerably contribute to resolving the complex problems of the Balkans, especially on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, and in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia's Ambassador to Washington Miomir Zuzul said Saturday. Zuzul was speaking about the contribution Ankara and Zagreb could make to lasting peace and security in south-eastern Europe at the New Atlantic Initiative Congress taking place in Istanbul. The ambassador pointed to the necessity that Bosnia and Croatia become full members of NATO. He called on NATO to deploy its forces in Croatia and Bosnia. Zuzul recalled that Turkey's role in south-eastern Europe grew considerably bigger since the collapse of communism and the break- up of the former Yugoslavia. Turkey made an outstanding contribution to resolving the conflict in Bosnia and the reconciliation of Bosniaks (Muslims) and Bosnian Croats, i.e. to the creation of the Croat-Muslim Federation in Bosnia, the ambassador said. He particularly underlined Croatia's conviction that European stability and security could fully be achieved only on condition that NATO expand to the east. It would be a prudent decision to make Croatia, Slovenia and Bosnia members of western institutions, especially the NATO and the European Union, Zuzul said. Croatia's and Bosnia's membership at NATO would open prospects for the full implementation of the Dayton peace agreement, the ambassador said, but emphasised this was not the case with other countries from the former Yugoslavia. Pointing out that Croatia and Turkey accept a European orientation and its values, Zuzul warned that notions of establishing some Balkan associations or "Euroslavias" on the "dust" of the former Yugoslavia were unacceptable. Croatia's ambassador to Washington also welcomed the first wave of NATO's expansion to Poland, Hungary and the Czech Republic. He assessed Croatia, Slovenia, Romania and Bulgaria should be part of the second phase. (hina) ha 022111 MET may 98