ZAGREB, April 9 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign minister Mate Granic talked about Croatia's international status at Tuesday's session of the Croatian Parliament Lower House Committee for Foreign Affairs. The strategy of Croatia's politics
of foreign affairs basically focused on the reintegration of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem, strengthening the Bosnian Federation and relations with other countries, Granic said.
ZAGREB, April 9 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign minister Mate Granic
talked about Croatia's international status at Tuesday's session of
the Croatian Parliament Lower House Committee for Foreign Affairs.
The strategy of Croatia's politics of foreign affairs
basically focused on the reintegration of eastern Slavonia, Baranja
and western Srijem, strengthening the Bosnian Federation and
relations with other countries, Granic said. #L#
For the first time there were realistic possibilities of a
peaceful reintegration of the occupied Croatian Danubian area,
Granic said.
There would probably be problems arising locally, but Belgrade
was interested in the peaceful completion of the process, Granic
said.
Answering questions from members of the Committee, Granic said
that estimates according to which there were 125,000 newcomers to
the Danubian area were exaggerated. The number could be some 80,000
in reality, Granic said.
According to signed agreements, aboriginal Serbs may stay in
their homes, as well as those who had arrived from other places in
Croatia, but such people could not stay in homes of Croatian
refugees, Granic said.
The Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina was the basis of Croato-
Bosniac relations and of the overall peace in the region, Granic
said. The process of bolstering the Federation, where there had
been problems locally, continued to the satisfaction of both sides,
Granic said.
The normalization of relations with Belgrade hindered the fact
that Belgrade openly requested tripartite exchange of territory,
namely, they had requested Croatia to hand over Prevlaka (Southern
most tip of Croatia), Granic said.
"We want to reach an agreement, but unconditionally, Granic
said.
"Croatia has no interest in such an exchange, the public is
against the exchange and we refuse any kind of discussion
concerning the issue," Granic said.
The most important issue for Croatia in talks with Belgrade
was the issue of persons who had gone missing during the war,
Granic said, adding that the delay in the opening of the oil
pipeline towards Serbia was caused by the fact that Serbia had not
yet closed the pipeline in Deletovci in the occupied area.
Certain problems existed in relations with Slovenia, mainly
unresolved issues of the debt the Ljubljanska Banka owed to
Croatian customers and the border in the Piran bay, Granic said,
adding that Croatia was ready for international arbitration.
As regards European integrations, Granic pointed out primarily
Croatia's admittance into the European Council. He stressed that
Croatia was against any kind of associations in the region of
former Yugoslavia and the Balkan.
(hina) lm jn
091525 MET apr 96