GRANIC ADDRESSES PARLIAMENT ON ENDING U.N. MANDATE IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, Jan 24 (Hina) - "Croatia, as a democratic country, is aware of all its responsibilities, and as a sovereign country, also of all its rights. The interest of Croatia is not war but a lasting peace," Foreign Minister Mate Granic today told the Croatian Parliament upper house in a report on the President's decision to end the UNPROFOR mandate. Granic stressed Croatia had made a firm decision to terminate the UNPROFOR mandate by March 31 this year, leaving the UN peacekeeping force another three months to complete its withdrawal. He recalled that the decision had been made by President Franjo Tudjman in line with his constitutional powers and a Parliament resolution, with full public support. Granic emphasised that the decision was firmly based on international law, the UN Charter and all relevant UN resolutions relative to the situation in Croatia, including its occupied territories. He reiterated that the decision on ending the UN mandate was not negotiable. The reasons for such a decision were UNPROFOR's failure to return a single refugee to his home and deploy monitors along Croatia's borders, or alternatively, make it possible for Croatia to control its own borders. In addition, a police force in line with the 1991 population census has never been set up. "It is quite clear that fundamental provisions of the original Vance plan and UN Security Council resolutions have not been and are not being implemented and can never be enforced under the present mandate," Granic stressed. The aim of this decision is to stop the process of de facto freezing the unacceptable status quo, give a fresh and strong impetus to the negotiating process and set deadlines in strict observance of UN Security Council resolution, he added. Croatia expects political understaning and diplomatic support from world powers and factors, which means that the UN protected areas are Croatia's internal political affair; that the basic purpose of this decision is to step up the existing negotiating processes by setting March 31 this year as a deadline; and that the decision is not directed towards a war option, Granic said. Despite concern and even opposition of some diplomats to such a decision, none of the international factors has denied Croatia its sovereign right to make such a decision, he added. We fully understand the concern of international institutions and factors, of our allies and friends, but I would like to tell them that Croatia has enough experience and political maturity to succeed in such an action and solve its problems. It will not be detrimental to international efforts and will actively contribute to the resolution of the crisis in Bosnia, Granic said. Granic further said that the decision on terminating the UNPROFOR mandtate by no means meant a break of relations with the UN. Croatia has offered UNPROFOR to keep its headquarters in Zagreb for the sake of its mission in Bosnia. It has proposed the gradual dislocation of UN peacekeepers from Croatia to Bosnia with the possibility of setting up logistics bases in Croatia for the Bosnia mission. Croatia is willing to immediately resume negotiations with local Serb authorities and will insist on the implementation of the economic agreement, Granic said. Croatia is also prepared to begin talks with international institutions on new forms of supervising the implementation of agreements with local Serbs and observing human and minority rights in the process of reintegration, he added. Croatia is ready to restart talks with local Serb authorities on establishing local autonomy and regulating the position of the Serb community within the overall constitutional and legal system of Croatia, Granic said, adding that the basis for further negotiations was clear and internationally verified. (hina) jn vm as 241849 MET jan 95