OSCE OFFICE ACCEPTS COMPLAINTS BY CROATIAN MINISTRY OF INTERIOR CO

CO $ NCERNING SEMINAR ZAGREB, 20 Apr (Hina) - Croatian Ministry of Interior informed the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights (ODIHR) in Vienna that it would indeed support the seminar "Conflict in former Yugoslavia and the role of mass media" to take place early May in Bol on the island of Brac. An intensive exchange of letters between the two institutions characterized last week concerning the definition of the participants and the spoken language of the seminar. Namely, the invitation forwarded to Minister Mate Granic read that invited were "media experts from the following regions: Croatia, Serbian republic from the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Federations of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia and Montenegro, and the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia". The information also said that the seminar would be held "in Yugoslav (southslavic) language". On that occasion, a representative of the Ministry Dr.Andelic on April 15 addressed a letter to OHIDR Director, Ambassador Audrey Glover, underlining that Croatia as a full member of OSCE is always willing to take part in its activities, but warned about some factual errors in the seminar information "of which some are politically unacceptable to the Republic of Croatia". Glover in her letter of 17 April responded that her office had "no intention in offending your - or any other government... On the other hand, the citations about which you are complaining should not be viewed as a reflection of any political standpoint of this Office". In their letter of 19 April the Ministry of Interior informed Glover it would both support and send a high official to the upcoming seminar. (hina) jt 202129 MET apr 96