FISCHER CLAIMS CROATIA FULFILLING SOME DUTIES WHILE OTHERS WAIT

( Editorial: --> 5153 ) ZAGREB, June 2 (Hina) - Croatia has made important progress in fulfilling its obligations to the Council of Europe (CoE), but many of those duties still have to be met, CoE parliamentary chief Leni Fischer said in Zagreb on Thursday. In a speech at European House, Fischer said Croatia had ratified key parts of the CoE Convention and was cooperating in implementation of the Dayton peace accords. The CoE Parliamentary Assembly President welcomed the Croatian Government's delivery of a Programme for the Return and Accommodation of Displaced Persons, Refugees and Exiled Persons. In the meantime, Croatia still had to work on "freedom and independence of the media, freedom of expression, resolving ethnic problems and shortcomings related to election procedure", Fischer said. Following her speech the German politician held a press conference for the ending of her four-day official visit to Croatia. Fischer did not want to further explain her comments in which way Zagreb was fulfilling the obligations it had taken on, saying this was the job of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly rapporteurs who were arriving in Croatia in September, and not July as had been announced earlier. Only after the rapporteurs prepare reports and these were discussed by committees would the Parliamentary Assembly give its views on the reports. During her visit Fischer met Croatia's President Franjo Tudjman, Croatian National Parliament President Vlatko Pavelic and House of Counties President Katica Ivanisevic, Foreign Minister Mate Granic, European Integration Minister Ljerka Mintas-Hodak and other high-ranking government and parliamentary officials. She also visited the cities of Vukovar and Dubrovnik. (Hina) mbr jn /lml 021452 MET jul 98