CRO AMBASSADOR COMMENTS ON SECURITY COUNCIL PRESIDENTIAL STATEMENT

NEW YORK, Sept 19 (Hina) - The process of peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube river area is reaching the final stage and this causes certain diplomatic dynamic activities, Croatian Ambassador to the UN, Ivan Simonovic, has said commenting on Thursday's presidential statement of the UN Security Council concerning the reintegration of the Danube area. According to him, there is well-meaning insistence on the Croatian Government to fulfil the remaining obligations and commitments, but sometimes such insistence is blended with some countries' fear that Croatia may strengthen its international position after it soon restores its control over eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Sirmium. The UN Security Council statement reminded the Croatian Government of its tasks that remain to be fulfilled. It emphasised that the level of completion of such tasks would determine the transfer of authorities to the Croatian bodies of authority in the Danube area. The Security Council welcomed all new initiatives of the Croatian Government, and this proved that the Croatian government's decision to hold a thematic session on remaining tasks in connection with the peaceful reintegration of the Danube area, had deflected the presidential statement, and even made it unnecessary, Simonovic said. By 6 October the UN Secretary-General should notify the Security Council of implementation of the UNTAES peace operation, and this presidential statement should be treated as a warning about what Croatia was supposed to do in the end of the process, the ambassador added. According to him, the best way to respond to the warning is for Croatia to fulfil speedily all of its remaining tasks, but the good response would be also a clear message that all obligations and commitments would be performed, but the UN mandate in the Danube area ends on 15 January next year, in line with the Basic Agreement. Such an end of the UN peace operation would be a joint success of Croatia, the UN and friendly countries that have assisted in the process of the peaceful reintegration. (hina) jn mš 191142 MET sep 97