TALKS YES, BUT NO ILLUSIONS OR COMPROMISES, GRANIC SAYS

ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - "The Zagreb-four plan for the reintegration of Croatia's occupied areas is a goodwill plan," Croatian Foreign Minister, Mate Granic, said last night at the Croatian Academy of Medical Sciences. Granic was giving a paper on "Croatia's Role in Current Political Events." Describing the positive aspects of the plan, Granic said it offered a final solution by peaceful means. It supported Croatia's territorial integrity. The plan also clearly distinguished between the eleven municipalities with pre-war Serb majority and the rest of the occupied area. The outlined schedule for the reintegration of these non-Serb-majority occupied areas was acceptable, although the proposed deadline was too long. But Croatia was unappy with the "extent and contents on local autonomy" which would be granted to the 11 pre-war Serb-majority municipalities. Such an autonomy is a "de facto federalisation" of Croatia, which the plan suggested should be supervised by international mechanisms. "We believe that such a solution opens the door to a possible secession of this 'autonomous region' or 'Krajina' as the plan calls it," Granic warned. "We accept negotiations, but we intend to dispute the contents (of the plan)," Granic said. "The Knin Serbs refused to even look at the plan because such were the instructions from Belgrade," Granic said. "This clearly shows that they had been pursuing a strategy of protracting and freezing the occupation, with UNPROFOR's help," he said. "So we were absolutely right to discontinue the UNPROFOR mandate." He reiterated that "peaceful reintegration was surely the best in terms of human lives" and that "Croatia would do everything to make this possible." "In this spirit, we are ready to embark on negotiations with Belgrade, but only if the talks focus on the recognition of Croatia within its internationally recognised borders and humanitarian issues, such as the missing persons problem," Granic said. "Croatia is ready to talk, and without any illusions or compromises. There is no agreement between Presidents Tudjman and Milosevic either on the Bosnia issue or the ending of the UNPROFOR mandate," Granic emphasised. "Our estimate that Serbia won't find it easy to go to war is based on political, strategic, economic and logistical facts," Granic said. (hina) jn as sd 021309 MET feb 95