GRANIC COMMENTS ON PREVLAKA AND HIS FORTHCOMING VISIT TO USA

( Editorial: --> 8105 ) ZAGREB, July 16 (Hina) - The UN Security Council Resolution 1183 on Prevlaka bears witness to the continuity of the Council's support for the fact that Prevlaka is an integral part of Croatia, Foreign Minister Mate Granic said in Zagreb Thursday. This resolution is even more precise in defining the fact that Prevlaka is part of Croatia, Granic said. Prevlaka is on Croatia's most southern flank and borders Montenegro in the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY). A UN observer mission has controlled demilitarisation of the area since October 1992, when the Yugoslav People's Army withdrew from this part of Croatian territory. Yugoslavia has territorial pretensions towards Prevlaka but Croatia views this as a security issue for whose solution it has offered a proposal to Yugoslavia. Resolution 1183 was adopted under the item "Croatia". Along with 15 permanent Security Council members, a Croatian representative was also present during the adoption of this document, Granic said. The resolution was adopted unanimously and received special support from the United States, Germany and Slovenia. The Security Council has noted proposals by Croatia and Yugoslavia concerning Prevlaka and extended the mandate of its monitoring mission for the next six months. The Croatian proposal was put into the context of the positive report by the Secretary General whereas the Yugoslav proposal was only noted in a separate form, Granic added. By October 15, the Secretary General is to submit a new report on Prevlaka, with a possibility of changing the mission's mandate, he explained. Granic described as very positive the fact that for the first time Yugoslavia had given its proposal for the issue of Prevlaka. He added that Croatia would make effort to reach an agreement with Yugoslavia as soon as possible. The Foreign Minister said he would "most probably meet with the Yugoslav Foreign Minister Zivadin Jovanovic in Zagreb in mid August". "The agenda of this extensive meeting, whose details are still being determined, will certainly include Prevlaka," Granic said. He said he would visit the United States on July 21 at the invitation of Secretary of State Madeleine Albright. The visit will take place at the right time, following the adoption of the programme of refugee return and the successful talks with the organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) concerning its taking over some of powers from the U.N. Police Support Group in the Croatian Danube region. "The meeting with the US Secretary of State will happen after Croatia has taken a set of additional measures with the aim of stabilising the situation in the Danube region and strengthening the confidence-building measures," Granic said. The positive atmosphere ahead of the meeting is enhanced by the United States' considerable support in the adoption of the latest resolution on Prevlaka, he added. The agenda of Granic-Albright meeting will include the return of refugees; the situation in the Danube region; implementation of the Dayton agreement; the opening of border crossings with Republika Srpska; an agreement on special relations with the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina; the use of the Croatian port of Ploce by the Federation and passage through the Federation territory on the central Adriatic coast (Neum); democratic processes in Croatia; economic cooperation between the United States and Croatia; the process of Croatia's nearing the Partnership for Peace and cooperation with the International Criminal Tribunal for Former Yugoslavia (ICTY). Commenting on the recent visit of the Croatian Opposition to the United States, Granic said the visit had taken place within the usual democratic standards. He added that President Tudjman's visit to Washington would also be discussed with US officials. (hina) jn rml 161957 MET jul 98