COUNCIL OF EUROPE ISSUES STATEMENT ON CROATIA'S ADMISSION TO ORGAN

ORGAN $ ISATION STRASBOURG, 24 April (Hina) - The Council of Europe Directorate of Information on Wednesday issued a statement on Croatia's admission to the Council of Europe. Here is the full text of the statement: "By a large majority, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe voted in favor of the admission of Croatia this morning, thereby paving the way for this country to become the 40th member State of the pan-European organisation based in Strasbourg. The opinion adopted by the Assembly will be passed to the Committee of Ministers for a final decision. In adopting the opinion tabled by Rene VAN DER LINDEN (Dutch Christian Democrat), Rapporteur of the Political Affairs Committee, the Assembly took account of the positive side of developments in Croatia and in particular the signature on 15 March by the President of the Republic of Croatia and the President of the Croatian Parliament of a list of 21 undertakings proposed by the Political Affairs Committee. The setting up of an OSCE mission in the country and the recent adoption of a constitutional law on co- operation with the international Criminal Tribunal also influenced the vote of the parliamentarians. Croatia undertakes to ratify the European Convention on Human Rights during the year following its admission to the Council of Europe and to recognize the right of individual petition and the compulsory jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights. During the first year following admission, Croatia will sign Protocol 6 to the Convention concerning the abolition of the death penalty in times of peace which it will ratify within three years. In the year following admission, Croatia will sign and ratify the Framework Convention of the Council of Europe for the Protection of National Minorities, the European Charter of Local Self-Government and the Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. Croatia also undertakes to co-operate to good effect in the application of the Dayton peace agreements, to co-operate with the International Criminal Tribunal for former Yugoslavia, and to bring persons accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide before the Tribunal without delay. The Assembly also expects the Croatian authorities to guarantee effectively the rights and freedoms of ethnic and national minorities, as well as the freedom of the media, consult the Council of Europe experts on the revision bill of the Local Administration and Autonomy Act and ensure that the law on the Judicial Service Commission is applied according to Council of Europe rules. Finally, Croatia has undertaken to co-operate with the Council of Europe in implementing measures to monitor whether States are honouring their commitments. "My country regards it as a real honour as well as great obligation to share her fate with that of Europe, a Europe that well knows that it refuses to accept while being determined to get what it desires, a Europe of prosperity and a safe future", said Vlatko Pavletic, the President of the Croatian parliament, attending the Assembly debate. (hina) rm mm 242242 MET apr 96