KLEIN COMMENTS ON RECENT EVENTS ON CROATIA'S POLITICAL SCENE

( Editorial: --> 9351 ) SARAJEVO, Oct 17 (Hina) - The latest events on the Croatian political scene represent a conflict between the pro-European orientation and its hard-line opposition which fails to realise the importance of the country's speedy integration into Europe, Deputy High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina Jacques Klein said in an interview with a Sarajevo daily on Sunday. There is a struggle between those who want to see Croatia integrated into the European Union and Partnership for Peace and those who think they can be bad guys, do whatever they want and be tolerated, Klein said in the interview with the "Oslobodjenje" daily. Asked to comment on the resignation of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's advisor on relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina, Franjo Greguric, Klein said Greguric's resignation was a sad fact just like the resignations of other moderate politicians who could get Croatia into Europe. Croatia today needs a stable Bosnia because Europe does not make any distinction between the two countries, said Klein. Europe sees both countries as part of the Balkans, meaning that Bosnia is Croatia's partner and that it is in Zagreb's interest for Bosnia to start functioning, to have access to the sea and to start developing its economy, the Deputy High Representative said. Klein also announced that the special US mediator Richard Sclar would pay another visit to Bosnia next week, so that the final agreement on special relations between Croatia and Bosnia- Herzegovina could be defined. The Deputy High Representative said that he would leave his office at the end of this year, after the action plan of the international community in Bosnia for 1999 is defined at a conference in Madrid. Klein also stated that he would not accept the office of the chief of the monitoring mission in Kosovo. (hina) rml 181246 MET oct 98