WORLD WILL EVALUATE CROATIA ACCORDING TO ITS MOVES - SAYS GRANIC

( Editorial: --> 8726 ) ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - The international community will evaluate Croatia according to concrete moves, primarily the application of the Dayton peace agreement, Croatian Foreign Minister and Deputy Premier Mate Granic said after a government session on Thursday. Granic was responding to a question whether the resignations of high-ranking Croatian officials and the latest events in the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) would affect Croatia's international reputation. Next week Croatia will discuss an agreement on special relations with the Croat-Muslim Federation, one of Bosnia's two entities, Granic said. Also expected to be signed is an already reached agreement by which Croatia is to enable Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH) to use the southern Croatian port of Ploce, while BH enable Croatia to have undisturbed passage across Bosnian territory in the Neum area, on the Adriatic coast, he added. Granic said the international community had expectations with regard to the PHARE programme, an agreement on cooperation with the European Union (EU), and access to the Partnership for Peace programme. "Everything depends exclusively on concrete moves, i.e. concrete negotiations with the international community", he pointed out. "This is the international community's basic message at present, while allegations are a completely different matter, and I leave them to those who make them", Granic said in comment on an assessment made on Wednesday by Reuters. According to the British news agency, the Croatian President's decision "to go with the hardline right-wing faction (...) could sign the death knell for any real progress on the Foreign Ministry's stated goals of integration with Western institutions". Foreign Minister Granic said his assistant Vladimir Drobnjak visited Brussels a few days ago for talks on the PHARE programme. "There are some indications that some elements of the PHARE programme might be discussed this year, in relation with Croatia's reconstruction and development and some agreements between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation", said Granic. "With regard to the agreement on cooperation with the EU and Partnership for Peace, it is clear the international community has certain expectations with regard to a new television law, the electoral law, and the successful completion of the programme for reconstruction and return of displaced persons", the Foreign Minister concluded. (hina) ha jn 151923 MET oct 98