CROATIA IS IMPORTANT INTERNATIONAL FACTOR - TUDJMAN

ZAGREB, Dec 7 (Hina) - Through its policy, diplomacy and particularly military victories, Croatia has become an important international factor with which everybody has to count, including those who wanted to dispose of us and establish a new Croatia, Croatian President and president of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party, Franjo Tudjman, said on Monday's session of the HDZ National Committee. In his speech on current internal and international conditions, President Tudjman paid special attention to the significance of the Agreement on Special Relations between Croatia and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH), to internal and foreign pressures on the HDZ and the second visit of Pope John Paul II to Croatia. We must be realistic because some are not giving up on their regional plans, Tudjman said. We have gained a reputation in all areas and we must continue to be reasonable and flexible. However, "we must not allow to be led by sheep and ganders into the fog," Tudjman stressed. Speaking about Croatia's international position, President Tudjman estimated that this year had been full of happenings, pressures on the HDZ from the country and abroad, but also marked with successes and outstanding historic events. Tudjman said that since the autumn of 1997, the party's internal and foreign enemies had the aim to cause a crisis and collapse of the party, and with it, of the whole state. This was especially evident before the elections in BH which, as he put it, were intended to break up the HDZ of BH, followed by the break-up of the HDZ in Croatia. Speaking about attempts at electoral machinations of a part of the international community at the time, more specifically, about the removal of Croat candidates from electoral lists in BH, Tudjman said HDZ's policy had forced the international community to realise that there could be no solution for BH without Croats. We have been victorious at these elections, and the world had to relent, Tudjman stressed. He spoke extensively about the signing of the Agreement on Special Relations between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation. The recent signing of the Agreement is one of the most important events since the creation of the Croatian state, Tudjman said. He recalled that some international factors forgot that the Washington Agreement envisaged that the Moslem-Croat Federation's ties with Croatia be on a confederate ties, and aimed at creating a unitarian Bosnia. On that trail, Tudjman said, there had been attempts at breaking up the HDZ of BH, and through it, break up the HDZ in Croatia, but they did not succeed. These factors did everything to get the agreement on Ploce and Neum to be signed, and in that context, they even instructed the Moslem leadership not to participate in the preparations of the Agreement on Special Relations between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation. "We resolutely dismissed such a standpoint and said that we would not sign the agreement on the port of Ploce and the passage through Neum at any cost," because in that case, Tudjman stressed, the Agreement on special relations would not have been signed. The Agreement enables BH transit through Croatia's territory to the Croatian port of Ploce, and Croatia transit over a small section of Bosnia's Adriatic coast within its borders. The signing of the Agreement on Special Relations between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation is one of the most important historic events which has ensured Croathood in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the protection of interests of the Croatian state. Moreover, the Agreement is significant for economic and all other cooperation, Tudjman said. These special relations have to be developed, we must work harder on the spiritual, cultural connection between Croat Catholics and Moslems. We need to, Tudjman stressed, keep up awareness that we are conditioned by history and act in that respect. Despite all difficulties, the Agreement must be implemented, Tudjman said, adding that an association of Croat-Moslem friendship and unity should be established. Tudjman stressed there have been intentions to equalise the democratic Croatia with the Independent State of Croatia (NDH, 1941-1945). He recalled that in connection to this, the Sakic case had been imposed on Croatia. Croatia has been and is against Ustasha-fascist crimes, and the HDZ estimated at its first general assembly that the NDH had been a quisling creation. However, we said and we are saying that at the same time, the NDH represented the desire of the Croatian people for the creation of their own country, he stressed. Tudjman also said Croatia had been subject to economic, political and financial pressures, and stressed pressures regarding the freedom of the media. The freedom of the media in Croatia is on a level on which it is not in many countries by which Croatia is criticised, Tudjman said. He stressed that in all these democratic countries, when the government changes, the media personnel, from the doorman to the editor-in-chief changes. "Let them not sell us what they cannot sell anywhere else," the President said, and stressed he would not allow Croatia to become obedient. Tudjman warned that Croatia was subject to a synchronised, unscrupulous and infernal sotonising, to the writings of tabloids financed from the outside, and to the unifying of a heterogeneous opposition. They are accusing the HDZ by lies and slander about the party, Tudjman and his family. The goal of these attacks, Tudjman assessed, is to dispose of the HDZ, which would mean the destabilisation of Croatia, which would then listen to others and become a part of the Balkan framework. Despite Croatia's refusals, regional plans still exist, they should not be underestimated, and those who joined in the policy against the HDZ are not able to understand this, he stressed. How can the faithful join in with non-believers, the light with darkness, if not only to dispose of the forces that saved Croatia from centuries-old slavery and created a state, Tudjman asked. Some things are being fabricated and blown out of proportion, as is the case with secret services. All these, Tudjman stressed, are orchestrated plans aimed at discrediting the HDZ and creating a rift within it. Despite attempts of creating a parliamentary crisis, the HDZ has shown its strength, he stressed. In his speech, Tudjman especially stressed the importance of the visit of Pope John Paul II to Croatia and the beatification of Croatian Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac (the primate of the Catholic Church in Croatia during World War II). By this act, the Pope and the Vatican have sided with this Croatia, Church and Croatian people, despite attempts to blame the entire Croatian population for genocide and fascism. The Holy Father, the Vatican and Catholicism stated Stepinac had not been a criminal, just as the Croatian people had not been criminals. This contributes to the truth about the Croatian people during WW II and the truth about the Croatia of today, President Tudjman stressed. Tudjman described as very significant the fact that stability in political and economic life has been maintained. He stressed that the introduction of the Value Added Tax (VAT) had been accomplished without significant difficulties, unlike in other countries. The VAT increased tax revenues, decreased grey economy and deficit in the government budget. Speaking about the difficulties Croatia faces, Tudjman said the true rate of unemployment was 10 percent, salaries and pensions were low, but significantly improved. The problem of insolvency in payments and the inefficiency of the judiciary should be seriously tackled, Tudjman stressed. He added that the new law on banks would contribute to a more efficient banking system. Tudjman called on a determined opposing of bureaucracy, of various abuses of authority and crime. We must be aware that we are responsible for our programmes and that tabloids and the opposition drop all negativities in HDZ's lap. "Nobody can be more social than the HDZ when it comes to the care for every man and when it comes to high ethical and moral principles," Tudjman stressed. The HDZ must be for a policy of dialogue with everyone, especially with politically similar parties. "The HDZ must continue implementing Croatia's victorious policy which unified most of the Croatian people and must continue to be the drive of development and a guarantee for the future of the Croatian state," Tudjman concluded in his speech. (hina) lml jn