CROATIA, HUNGARY SIGN AGREEMENT ON PROTECTION OF MINORITIES

OSIJEK, April 5 (Hina) - Croatia and Hungary today signed an agreement on the mutual protection of minorities. The agreement was signed in the eastern Croatian city of Osijek by foreign ministers Mate Granic of Croatia and Laszlo Kovac of Hungary. Stressing that it was the first bilateral agreement on minorities protection signed by Croatia, Granic said that his country would do its utmost to secure the best possible protection of minorities in the areas of education and culture, ensure their access to the media and provide everything to protect the national identity of a minority. It was agreed that the presidents, prime ministers and parliament speakers of the two countries would meet this year and that Kovacs would pay a return visit to Zagreb. Speaking of the situation in occupied Croatian areas in the light of the latest UN Security Council resolution, Granic said that Croatia expected an operational resolution to be adopted later this month. He added that resolution 981 provided a final negotiating framework for the peaceful reintegration. Granic said that Croatia was willing to invite an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) mission to visit the occupied territories. Kovacs emphasized the importance of the agreement and added that it was drafted in accordance with European norms. It provided a framework for resolving concrete problems of the Hungarian minority in Croatia, he said. (hina) mm vm 051615 MET apr 95