A BRIEF LOOK AT CROATIAN PRESS ON WEDNESDAY

ZAGREB, March 20 (Hina) - Today's VJESNIK heralds Tuesday's announcement of the Council of Europe political committee (which recommended Croatia's admittance to the Council of Europe) with a bold two-inch front-page headline, "Croatia Enters the Council of Europe." The paper covers a press conference of Reconstruction Minister Jure Radic, who presented the pilot project for the reconstruction of five villages in the Danubian area. A comment piece by Maja Freundlich deals with the Zagreb mayor issue. The author criticises the Opposition parties for their "uncompromising anti-HDZ policy." The paper carries an interview with the Croatian Government Commissioner for the Okucani municipality, Drazen Japundzic. An article headlined "Bosnia's Invitation to Rich Countries But Also to Neighbours" discusses the opportunities for Croatian investors in the reconstruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina. VECERNJI LIST also devotes the front page to Croatia's impending admittance to the Council of Europe. The bold-faced headline reads "Croatia Recommended for Admittance to Council of Europe." An article headlined "Nothing Against Ploce" discusses the pros and cons of a long-term lease of a part of the Ploce port to the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. A comment piece by Visnja Staresina analyses the Geneva talks. Here are some highlights: "Since the beginning of the war, no agreement has been reached just because presidents or foreign ministers met and held protracted talks when they had no other choice." "This means that Serbia will keep insisting on Prevlaka and Croatia will stick to its stance that Prevlaka is not an issue. There is no international political will to put pressure on Serbia to give it up. On the other hand, there is no grounds for pressuring Croatia just because it protects its territorial integrity. Prevlaka also provides a good pretext for Milosevic to delay recognizing Croatia until he sees which way the cat will jump - meaning the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the outcome of efforts to reintegrate the Danubian area and the succession process." "The attempt to break the deadlock is therefore doomed to fail." (hina) as 201144 MET mar 96