DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER RECEIVES COUNCIL OF EUROPE DELEGATION

ZAGREB, Oct 10 (Hina) - The chairman of the Monitoring Committee of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, Guido de Marco, met Croatian deputy prime minister Ljerka Mintas-Hodak in Zagreb on Friday to discuss the efforts of the Croatian government to fulfil the commitments it had assumed upon accession to the Council of Europe on November 6 last year. Mintas-Hodak told reporters after the talks that they discussed Croatia's obligations, ratification of the Council of Europe conventions, the situation in the UN-administered Croatian Danube region and the process of implementing the programme of two-way refugee returns. She said that the Convention on Human Rights, the most important document of the Council of Europe, would be ratified within a period one year. "However, it will take a lot of effort to change the mentality and create a positive atmosphere to ensure respect for the human rights of all citizens of Croatia," Mintas-Hodak said. De Marco expressed hope that Croatia would meet its commitments under the Council of Europe documents it had signed. In the afternoon the Council of Europe delegation was scheduled to meet representatives of the Ministry of Reconstruction and Development, the Ministry of Justice, media and non-governmental organisations. The delegation, currently on a four-day visit, also included rapporteurs Hanna Suchocka and Gunnar Janson. (hina) vm 101543 MET oct 97