CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER HOSTS CHRISTMAS RECEPTION

( Editorial: --> 1444 ) ZAGREB, Dec 29 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Monday hosted a Christmas reception for foreign and domestic reporters. The outgoing year was a year of great temptations, but also of great success in which Croatia had regained control of its internationally recognised borders after the successfully completed peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube river region. Granic said that next year Croatian foreign politics would face access towards Euro-Atlantic integrations and the resolution of the remainder of open issues and further development of relations with neighbouring countries. Croatia is expecting the initiation of negotiations with the European Union, member countries of the Central European Free Trade Association (CEFTA) and World Trade Organisation (WTO), as well as access into the Partnership for Peace programme, Granic said. Regarding Bosnia-Herzegovina, he added that there would be no peace in that country without the constructive role of Croatia. (hina) lm 292010 MET dec 97