OSCE PREPARES FOR ITS ROLE IN CROATIA AFTER UNTAES

( Editorial: --> 7269 ) ZAGREB, Oct 31 (Hina) - The OSCE mission has been preparing to assume the role of the most important international organisation in Croatia after the expiry of the UNTAES mandate on January 15 next year, OSCE mission chief Tim Guldimann of Switzerland said in Zagreb on Friday. "We will be next year the biggest international organisation on the ground," Ambassador Guldimann told a news conference, adding that this implies some responsibilities. The OSCE's task will be to support the devolopment of democratic institutions and processes in the country and the protection of human rights, and to assist and monitor Croatia's compliance with its commitments regarding the two-way return of the refugees and the displaced and the protection of their rights as well as the protection of members of national minorities. Guldimann said that the objective of the OSCE mission in Croatia would be to assist transition from the post-war period to the reintegration of Croatia into the family of European states. The OSCE mission intends to increase the number of its staff from the current 85 workers to 250 as of mid-January next year. The mission will be based in Zagreb, with four coordination centres in Vukovar, Sisak, Daruvar and Knin, and 16 field centres. Responding to a question on the current situation in Croatia, Guldimann said that the trend had been positive in the past month. We will assist the process, and for this purpose we should, above all, to strengthen the relations of mutual confidence, he added. Guldimann assumed the post of head of the OSCE mission in Croatia in September 1997. He said that the OSCE was active throughout Croatia, noting that the Croatian Danube region was of special interest to this organisation and that its mission had six offices there. UNTAES has been running the Danube region, while we are here to assist the process on the whole territory of the Republic of Croatia, he said, referring to the differences between the mandates of OSCE and UNTAES. The Swiss diplomat said that one of the OSCE tasks would be to monitor freedom of the media in Croatia in conformity with the obligations assumed by the Croatian government. At the invitation of the Croatian government, the OSCE began its first mission in April 1996 when the organisation had the mandate to support the development of democratic institutions and processes as well as the protection of human and minority rights. On June 26, 1997, the mission's mandate was amended with the task that OSCE should help and monitor the implementation of Croatian laws, agreements and obligations taken on by the Croatian government regarding the two-way return of all refugees and displaced people and the protection of their rights and the protection of national minorities. On the same day the OSCE Permanent Council extended the mandate in Croatia until December 31, 1998. Guldimann said that the OSCE mission in Croatia was political, adding that OSCE reports to the Vienna-based Permanent Council on Croatia's compliance with its obligations would certainly have an impact on the political ties and economic cooperation between Croatia and other OSCE member-countries. We hope that our reporting will serve as a basis for political assessments that may determine the approach of 55 OSCE member- states toward Croatia, he added. Guldimann stressed that the OSCE mission in Croatia was completely different from its mission in Bosnia. The deputy head of the OSCE mission in Croatia, German Ambassador Helmut Rau, said that his country was satisfied with the developments in Croatia and appreciated recent achievements in the country. He added that Germany offered its support to the continuation of this process. Croatia became a member of the OSCE in March 1992. (hina) mš 311808 MET oct 97