TUDJMAN'S OFFICE DENIES MEDIA REPORTS ON HEBRANG'S RESIGNATION

( Editorial: --> 8678 ) ZAGREB, Oct 15 (Hina) - The Croatian President's Office on Thursday issued a denial with regard to some media reports on the alleged reasons behind former Defence Minister Andrija Hebrang's resignation. The Office most resolutely denied that the President of the Republic had on any occasion accused Hebrang of being an American agent. The Office said that this "fabrication arbitrarily leads to the conclusion that with Hebrang's departure the Croatian state policy has announced war to the United States of America". Such false and ill-intentioned reports aim to disturb Croatian- U.S. relations, and cause unrest and mistrust among the Croatian public, said the Office. Accessing Euro-Atlantic integration, developing partner relations with NATO in resolving particularly the intricate crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and building a democratic society, while preserving state and national interests, have and will remain Croatia's long-term goals, the Office said. (hina) ha jn 151959 MET oct 98