SIMONOVIC FORWARDS LETTER ON PREVLAKA TO SECURITY COUNCIL

( Editorial: --> 0371 ) WASHINGTON, Dec 22 (Hina) - A security arrangement for Prevlaka, Croatia's southern-most tip bordering with the Montenegro, can be found as soon as Belgrade begins to respect Croatia's territorial integrity, Croatia's Ambassador to the United Nations Ivan Simonovic said Monday. "The Croatian Government strongly believes that a proper security arrangement, consistent with international law and the security interests of the two states, can be found as soon as the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia begins to respect the basic principle of inviolability of international borders, which represents the cornerstone of the international legal and political system", Ambassador Simonovic said in a letter he forwarded to the president of the Security Council, Fernando Berrocal Soto. Earlier this month, Yugoslav Premier Radoje Kontic appealed in a letter to the Security Council to extend the UN Mission of Observers on Prevlaka (UNMOP). He accused Croatia of avoiding to resolve the issue through negotiations and of pursuing a "policy of fait accompli" aimed at incorporating the peninsula of Prevlaka into Croatia. In answer to Kontic's accusations, Croatia's Simonovic said those insinuations were "completely unfounded, in open disregard of international law, in particular of the principle uti possidetis, and stand in sharp contrast with the view of the whole international community". The UN Security Council confirmed Croatia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity in previous resolutions dealing with Prevlaka, adopted under the agenda item "The Situation in Croatia". The Security Council has confirmed the reality of the fact that Prevlaka is an integral part of Croatia, Simonovic said. The Croatian ambassador recalled that an agreement on normalisation of relations between Croatia and Yugoslavia said a solution for this sole outstanding security issue would be found, and that the UNMOP mandate would not be renewed interminably. Simonovic said Croatia was encouraged by the indications that in the near future the government of the Yugoslav Republic of Montenegro could be more open for cooperation, which might result in the opening of an international border crossing at nearby Debeli Brijeg. "Croatia believes that such a development would significantly contribute to confidence-building in the area", he added. As regards Belgrade's proposition for the extension of the UNMOP mandate, Simonovic said the "role of the international community should now be more focused on giving incentives for future negotiations on a permanent security arrangement than on maintaining, for both sides, an unacceptable status quo". (hina) ha mm 221852 MET dec 97