CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MEETS A NUMBER OF OFFICIALS IN NEW YORK

NEW YORK, Sept 23 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic had a number of bilateral meetings in New York on Monday afternoon which focused on the reintegration of the UN-administered Danube region into Croatia and Croatia's position in European and world institutions. Granic arrived in New York at the weekend to attend an annual session of the UN General Assembly, which he was scheduled to address on Thursday. During talks with UN Undersecretary for Peacekeeping Operations Bernard Miyet, Granic relayed the conclusions of a special government session on the process of peaceful reintegration of the Danube region. At Monday's session the Croatian government adopted a report on the reintegration process and a programme aimed at speeding up the return of displaced persons and the establishment of inter- ethnic confidence in the country's war-ravaged areas. Miyet welcomed the steps being undertaken by the Croatian government in the reintegration process, stressing that the UN Secretariat hoped the process would end successfully in line with set deadlines. Miyet noted that the termination of the UN mandate in the Croatian Danube region, which expires on January 15 next year, would depend on the speed at which the Croatian government would fulfil its commitments. During Granic's meeting with European Commission officials, European Commissioner Hans van den Broek said that the European Union wanted to see the situation in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem stabilise and that depending on the course of that process, negotiations between Croatia and the EU on cooperation would begin early next year. Talks with Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini focused on relations between the two countries, a planned visit by the Italian President to Croatia and Croatia's position in world financial institutions. During a dinner given by the UN Secretary General for the heads of delegations attending the 52nd session of the UN General Assembly, Granic talked with Chinese Foreign Minister Qien Qichen, Russian Foreign Minister Yevgeny Primakov and German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel. (hina) vm jn 231127 MET sep 97