CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER HOLDS LECTURE AT U.N. UNIVERSITY IN TOKY

TOKY $ O TOKYO, Dec 17 (Hina) - Croatia's Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Tuesday delivered a lecture on the Croatian foreign policy, its priorities and prospects at U.N. University in Tokyo. Before the lecture Minister Granic and a Croatian delegation talked with U.N. University Vice-Chancellor Heitoro Gurgulin de Souzo and a former Japanese Foreign Minister, currently a parliamentarian, Yohei Kono, at the Vice-Chancellor's offices. Minister Granic spoke to Tokyo public figures, politicians, university teachers and diplomatic corps members of the creation of the independent Croatia, aggression against his country, liberation by its own forces as well as of the current position of Croatia, its central European and Mediterranean characteristics and its economic and security integration with Europe. Granic also spoke of good progress in the process of the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area, the expected completion of the UNTAES mandate by the beginning of May 1997, and Croatia's continued support to the peace process in Bosnia- Herzegovina and to the strengthening of the Bosnian Federation. Granic pointed out macroeconomic indicators of the Croatian economy, a stabilization programme and current favourable conditions for foreign investment. Referring to bilateral relations between Croatia and Japan, Minister Granic said they were broadening at all levels. He added that visits of Japanese companies to Croatia and increasing presence of the JETRO (Japanese foreign trade organization) in Croatia showed that Japan had been more and more interested in Croatian economy. Now when Croatia was entering a period of the speedy reconstruction and construction of infrastructure there were significant possibilities of investment for those who would like to invest, Granic noted. He expressed belief that economic cooperation between Croatian and Japan would continuously rise and reach a level of the bilateral political relations. The programme for working visit of Minister Granic and the Croatian delegation to Japan ended by Granic's lecture at U.N. University. (hina) mm mš 171659 MET dec 96