ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - At Saturday's talks with President Franjo Tudjman US President Bill Clinton said that it was in the interest of the United States that eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Sirmium may be reintegrated speedily
into the Croatian legal system, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said in the last night's TV political broadcast.
ZAGREB, Jan 14 (Hina) - At Saturday's talks with President Franjo
Tudjman US President Bill Clinton said that it was in the interest
of the United States that eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western
Sirmium may be reintegrated speedily into the Croatian legal
system, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said in the last
night's TV political broadcast. #L#
The American side has been working steadily with Croatia on a
settlement to this issue, and on Monday the Security Council is
expected to adopt a resolution, Granic told on Croatian television.
The retired US General Jacques Klein has been de facto
appointed and he will assume the civilian and military leadership,
whereas a Belgian battalion is to be a pillar of the
demilitarization in the areas, Croatian Foreign Minister said
adding that the United States expressed optimism about the
reintegration.
We believe that the demilitarization will be carried out
voluntarily and that no big problems will crop up, and this is the
impression we got after the recent talks in Belgrade, Granic
stressed.
Croatian Foreign Minister said the other topic of the Zagreb
talks with US delegation was how to overcome problems in the
Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. On the behalf of Croatia,
President Tudjman gave full support to the Federation. The Croatian
President proposed that an arbiter come as soon as possible, what
the American side accepted, and he suggested that some disputable
issues should be urgently solved, according to Granic.
US President promised that the arbiter for the Bosnian
Federation, Roberts Owen, would arrive the next week to assist in
the entire process, Granic added.
Croatian Foreign Minister said he and his German counterpart
Klaus Kinkel would travel to Mostar on Sunday to help resolve
problems.
Croatia believes that those activities could facilitate the
stabilization of the project of the Moslem-Croat Federation, which
is of vital importance to the success of the Dayton deals and the
entire peace project for Bosnia-Herzegovina, according to him.
Asked about accusations against the Croatian party in Bosnia,
Granic said that it could not be true and that one should have a
balanced approach to this matter, as Americans have showed during
Saturday's meeting.
At the end Granic assessed that the relations between Croatia
and the United States had been on the steady rise since the
Washington Accords and that the visit of American President Clinton
to Zagreb was the culmination of the relations.
According to Granic, Clinton's visit had both symbolical and
practical meaning. It symbolically confirmed the situation in the
bilateral ties.
As regards the practical side, Saturday's talks revolved
around concrete issues including the reintegration, the Federation
and the US-Croatian economic relations.
Under discussion was Croatia's admittance to the Partnership
for Peace and the NATO, which the USA supported, Granic said on
television last night.
(hina) mms
141026 MET jan 96