NATO'S EXPANSION WILL CONTRIBUTE TO DEMOCRACY - IVANISEVIC

ANTALYA, Oct 11 (Hina) - Croatia firmly believes that the integration of Central and Southeastern European countries into NATO and other Western security programmes and systems will contribute to the stability, democracy and development of these countries, Croatian Upper House speaker Katica Ivanisevic told a conference on security and cooperation in Europe which opened in the Turkish resort of Antalya on Friday. Only a balance of power based on the equal rights of all states that emerged from the former Yugoslavia can lead to a lasting peace and stability in the region. For Croatia, the establishment of the Croat-Moslem Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and its clear relationship with Croatia is a key element of a future balanced security system in the region, Ivanisevic said. She added that the admission of each state in the region into European intergration processes should take place on an individual basis, without political conditions or demands for the creation of regional associations. Croatia has committed itself to promoting the values on which the post-Cold War world is based and is willing to assume all rights and obligations as a future NATO partner, Ivanisevic said. (hina) vm jn 111456 MET oct 96