GRANIC GIVES STATEMENT FOLLOWING COMMITTEE OF MINISTERS' SESSION

( Editorial: --> 1757 ) STRASBOURG, May 5 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said on Tuesday he hoped the international community would adopt the principles of Croatia's procedure for acquiring documents and its plan of return and reconstruction. "I believe Croatia will find a common language with the international community when it comes to the procedure for acquiring documents and the drawing up of the plan of return and reconstruction," Granic said after the 102nd session of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers in Strasbourg. The session was a chance for Croatia to say what it was doing in adopting European standards on refugee care and the completion of peaceful reintegration. For the first time the international community clearly said that principles and not numbers are important, as well as that a mass return is not a realistic expectation, that the situation on the ground is to be taken into consideration and that return should be secure, voluntary and dignified, Granic said. Granic also met the German, Russian and Slovenian foreign ministers in Strasbourg. Talks with Germany's Klaus Kinkel focused on the return of refugees and Euro-Atlantic integration processes, as well as on some of his latest statements and our replies, Granic said. Granic said he was convinced that he "has cleared up some issues with Minister Kinkel, not only concerning bilateral relations but also issues concerning refugee return and expectations of the international community towards Croatia". (hina) rm /mb 051849 MET may 98