CROATIA'S SOVEREIGNTY MUST BE RESPECTED IN SOLVING PREVLAKA ISSUE - CRO AMBASSADOR TO UN

- CRO AMBASSADOR TO UN NEW YORK, July 7 (Hina) - Croatian Ambassador to the United Nations Ivan Simonovic confirmed in a statement issued in New York on Sunday evening that Croatia considered the Prevlaka issue a security problem to be solved through the demilitarization of both sides along the Croatian- Montenegrin border, while respecting Croatia's sovereignty in the area. Prevlaka is a territory in southern-most Croatia, along the border with Montenegro. According to Simonovic's statement, Croatia has shown, and will continue to show, full understanding for security problems between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia concerning the protection of the Boka Kotorska Bay and the Dubrovnik hinterland (southern-most Croatia). Croatia will, however, remain firm in its stance that this security issue can be solved only by a reciprocal demilitarization of the corresponding territory along both sides of the state border, Simonovic said in his statement. The principle of integrity of international borders is fundamental to the United Nations, and is a generally accepted assumption for peace and stability in international relations, he added. Earlier this month, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, presented a report on the situation in Prevlaka to the Security Council, proposing the extension of the mandate of 28 UN military monitors for an additional six-month period. The current mandate expires on 15 July and the Security Council is expected to adopt a resolution on the mandate's extension later this week. Simonovic said Croatia's diplomacy advocates that, with the new resolution on the monitor mandate's extension, Prevlaka be clearly designated as part of the territory under the sovereign authority of the Republic of Croatia. Only on this condition can Croatia agree to a six-month extension of the monitor mandate, unambiguously showing that this temporary arrangement depends on its good will, said Simonovic in his statement, adding that in this way Croatia demonstrates its cooperation concerning the strengthening of peace and stability in the region, but also points out the irrefutability of its sovereign authority over the whole territory. (hina) ha 071211 MET jul 97