CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES COUNCIL OF EUROPE OFFICIALS

ZAGREB, March 1 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Friday received a Council of Europe delegation led by political rapporteur Pierre van der Linden, a Foreign Ministry statement said. Speaking of the reintegration of the remaining occupied areas of eastern Croatia, Granic expressed hope that the deployment of 5,000 international troops would begin soon so that the process of demilitarization could start and conditions could be created for the return of displaced people. Croatia was willing to provide all necessary assistance and cooperation to UN transitional administrator General Klein and military commander General Schoups, Granic said, assessing the progress of implementing the Basic Agreement and UN Security Council resolutions as satisfactory. The Croatian government reiterated its resoluteness to respect the human and minority rights of all its citizens and would make it possible for international human rights organizations and agencies to verify it on the ground. Granic said that steps towards the normalization of relations between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia would have a positive impact on the overall process of reintegration. Granic noted a positive report by the UN secretary general on the human rights situation in the liberated parts of Croatia and presented government initiatives aimed at caring and protecting about ten thousand mainly elderly Serbs who remained to live in those areas after a Croatian military operation in early August last year. Granic informed the guests about a bill proposed by the government on cooperation with the Hague-based international war crimes tribunal, which was currently being discussed in parliament. (hina) vm 011434 MET mar 96