GRANIC ADDRESSES SYMPOSIUM ON CROATIAN DIPLOMACY

( Editorial: --> 9716 ) ZAGREB, June 8 (Hina) - The Croatian diplomacy will continue to carry out the strategic guidelines of Croatian state and foreign policy, Foreign Minister Mate Granic said on Monday in an opening address to the symposium "Experiences of Modern Croatian Diplomacy". Granic said the strategic guidelines of Croatian foreign policy were "totally clear and unquestionable: Croatia wants as soon as possible and fully to be included in Euro-Atlantic associations". He assessed that Croatia's international position "continues to be very complex but, when looked at in the long-term, it is strongly definite and very promising". "Croatia is placed under pressures which always appear when Croatian interests or some of our tactical moves are different from the interests of the international community at the time," Granic said. The Croatian Foreign Minister said Croatia's foreign policy position was based primarily on the issues of refugee return, followed by implementation of the Dayton Agreement for Bosnia- Herzegovina, the organisation of relations within the Federation of BH and the process of democratisation in Croatia. Speaking about the return of refugees, Granic said at the start of the war Croatia had sheltered about one million refugees and that now Croatia was the only country in which refugees were able to return. More than 37,000 Croatian Serbs had returned to Croatia, including 13,500 people who had returned from the Danube River region to other parts of Croatia, Granic said estimating that the total number of refugees was certainly even higher. He said the plan on refugee return should be completed by June 20, when it would be released to the domestic public and the international community. Croatia hopes that the plan will be accepted by everyone, so that inside the country foundations for the systematic policy of controlled and organised return can be established, while on the other hand it would remove threats of lifting trade concessions and establish conditions for the holding of the conference on reconstruction and development in September this year, Granic explained. He said Croatia was cooperating with international factors in all fields - from the implementation of the Dayton and Washington agreements, to cooperation with the Hague Tribunal. "The third area in which the international community is insisting is the development of democracy in Croatia," Granic said, adding that the international community was especially interested in an independent judiciary and fair elections, and the issue of freedom of the media, especially state television. "The transparency of institutions and public television are aims which are in the interests of Croatia, as well as conditions for inclusion into Europe. "Maintaining Croatia's reputation and protecting the primary interests of the Republic of Croatia form the clear concept of the Croatian diplomacy," the Croatian Foreign Minister said. Citing President Franjo Tudjman that "we can be satisfied with what the Croatian diplomacy has done" in completely unfavourable conditions, Granic concluded that today's gathering showed the concept of Croatian diplomacy was very clear. Every good diplomacy was based on well-organised service, timely information, and analytical and efficacious implementation, Granic said, adding that the Croatian diplomacy had taken gone down that path. "Croatia is prepared to cooperate with the international community but also protects its vital interests," the Croatian Foreign Minister said. He said Croatia currently had 47 embassies, seven missions, 21 consulates, 884 full-time employees and 110 contract workers. Long-term aims included accessing the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance, while in the short-term accessing the EU's PHARE assistance programme, organisations such as the Central European Free Trade Area and the World Trade Organisation, and NATO's Partnership for Peace programme as well as Croatia's active participation as a central European and Mediterranean country in similarly orientated associations. (Hina) jn mbr /lml 082101 MET jun 98