OTTO VON HAPSBURG BOOK LAUNCHED IN VIENNA

( Editorial: --> 3944 ) VIENNA, June 28 (Hina) - The book "Expansion of the European Union to the East - Greatest Political Challenge for Europe" by European Parliament member Otto von Hapsburg and his aide Stephan Baier was launched in Vienna last week. The book is a call for the building of a common European future. The chapter "Balkan Myths and Western Fairy tales" is dedicated to Croatia and its rocky road to independence and territorial integrity as well as the pressures it had been exposed to. "The stability of minority rights, media freedom, development of democracy and prospects for a healthy economic development are at a lower level in some countries which are candidates for admission to the EU than in Croatia. Nevertheless, western European circles still view Croatia through the prism of Balkan myths and legends, which is completely wrong," Baier says in the book. "With its history, geography, cultural and political development Croatia belongs to the central European circle, it believes it is part of Europe and wants to participate in the building of common European institutions. It's a wonder how Croatia, despite the war, has made progress in establishing the rule of law in a very short period." The book launch was organised by the Austrian Pan-European Union. A discussion "Back to the Centre - European Union Facing Expansion" was held after the presentation. Participating in the discussion were von Hapsburg, who is president of the International Pan-European, Austrian Pan-European Union president Karl Hapsburg-Lothringen, Croatian Pan-European Union president and International Pan-European Union vice-president Mislav Jezic, Bulgarian Interior Minister Bogomil Bonev and the head of the Croatian European Integration Office, Vera Varga. Croatians feel they are a part of Europe and want to join the European integration process, Varga said. She added the Croatian Government had formed the European Integration Office as a coordination body between Croatia and European integration processes. (hina) jn rml /mbr 281722 MET jun 98