GRANIC ON INTERNATIONAL POSITION OF CROATIA

ZAGREB, March 7 (Hina) - "We are now at the stage when the strongest pressure is being exerted on Croatia so that UNPROFOR's mandate would be extended," Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic today said at the House of Counties' foreign affairs committee session. He added that pressure also included threats of freezing all relations between Croatia and the international community. Granic informed the committee of the international position of Croatia in the light of the decision to cancel the current UNPROFOR mandate. He also spoke of Croatia's relations with the European Union and the neighbouring countries. "Croatia is willing to cooperate with the international community, but the decision to end UNPROFOR's mandate is final," Granic said. Croatia favoured the peaceful reintegration of its occupied areas. Therefore, Croatia accepted the tripartite summit in Paris in contrary to Serbia that rejected it, since our country was ready to negotiate with rebel Serbs as well as with Belgrade, Granic said. Granic described the pressure as the result of the international community's concern that after the pullout of the UN peacekeepers the conflict might spread in the region. The basic aim of Croatia was to find out the common language with the international community about a model of the international supervision, which would be acceptable for Croatia, said Granic adding that he believed that there were great chances for achieving this aim. Although Croatia had fulfilled conditions for beginning talks on being admitted as a full member to the Council of Europe, the entire relations between Croatia and the EU would depend on finding out the common language with the international community, he said. He stressed that Croatia was constantly contacting with the United States, and described yesterday's talks with US Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke as very constructive. Granic also described as very positive yesterday's establishment of the joint military headquarters of Croatia and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, adding that the process of implementing the Washington Accords had firmly started. Speaking of the relations with the neighbouring countries Granic said the talks had been resumed with Slovenia on all open issues. Following the Croatian Constitutional Court's decision regarding the Statute of Istria County the Italian minority had exerted certain pressure, Granic said adding that the foreign ministers of Croatia and Italy had signed a memorandum on the protection of the minorities, which read that all contentious issues should be solved within the bilateral relations between the two countries. (hina) jn mms 072037 MET mar 95