CRO PREMIER INTRODUCES NEW DEFENCE MINISTER TO MP'S SESSION

ZAGREB, Oct 22 (Hina) - I am certain that Defence Minister Pavao Miljavac is a person able to achieve the fundamental goal - transformation of the Defence Ministry from its victorious wartime organisation to a peacetime, efficacious and NATO-comparable one, said Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa at the Croatian National Sabor's (parliament) House of Representatives session on Thursday. Appointment of the new Defence Minister Miljavac is to be confirmed by the Sabor. Miljavac has all the qualities for a defence minister, said Matesa adding that he could not comment on the motives and personal reasons standing behind the former Defence Minister Andrija Hebrang's resignation. After Hebrang was appointed Defence Minister, he suggested a programme. The programme was not given an adequate consensus and therefore Hebrang had to resign, Matesa said. Matesa added that it had been his wish to keep Hebrang in the Government but Hebrang was firm in his decision, so he had to accept his resignation. The reasons for his resignation, Hebrang made known to the public. The Prime Minister stressed that after Hebrang's resignation, he suggested Miljavac as a person meeting the standards of NATO and Partnership for Peace programme. Matesa also pointed out that because of his previous duties, Miljavac froze his active membership in the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ). (hina) it jn/rml