FOREIGN MINISTER GRANIC ARRIVES IN GERMANY

( Editorial: --> 2962 ) STUTTGART, June 22 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic Monday arrived in Stuttgart as part of a two-day working visit to Germany. Tomorrow morning Granic is to visit Bonn where he will meet German counterpart Klaus Kinkel. On Wednesday Croatia's Foreign Minister will visit London for talks with British counterpart Robin Cook. Speaking about the visits to Bonn and London, Granic said he will discuss bilateral relations with Germany and Great Britain. The talks will especially focus on Croatia's relation with the European Union and a speedier access to Euro-Atlantic integration, in view of the fact that the Croatian government has made a plan for the return of refugees and displaced persons which, the Foreign Minister said, is at present the chief expectation the international community has of Croatia. "The passing of a return plan means that Croatia has complied with the most important expectation of the international community. "This will certainly enable Croatia to lead a more active foreign policy which means firmly requesting the EU and NATO to initiate negotiations on a cooperation agreement and the PHARE programme, and on Partnership for Peace", Granic said upon arriving in Stuttgart. He also recalled that the Croatian government had reached an agreement with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe to continue the latter's mandate in Croatia within an extant memorandum, following the withdrawal of the UN Civil Police Support Group from the Danube river region in eastern Croatia. "All this combined opens the possibility for Croatia to take a firm stand in negotiations with the international community", Granic said. Asked if now the international community will concentrate its pressure on demands to change the electoral law and for a speedier democratisation of the media, Granic asserted that Croatia is keeping with its rhythm in complying with undertaken commitments in view of those demands and as concerns the peace process in Bosnia- Herzegovina. The Croatian Foreign Minister was confident the Croatian government would draft a television bill by autumn. Speaking about the electoral law, Granic emphasised that Croatia had held eight types of elections to date within democratic western standards, constantly improving and adapting that law to those standards. This is something Croatia has been doing by itself and without international community pressure, Granic said. (hina) ha 222014 MET jun 98