CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER WRITES TO EUROPEAN DIPLOMATS - STATEMENT

STATEMENT $ ZAGREB, May 6 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mate Granic today sent letters to French Foreign Minister and the EU ministerial council's chairman, Alain Juppe, EU commissioner Hans van den Broek, the European Parliament's chairman, Klaus Haensch, the Council of Europe parliamentary assembly's chairman Miguel Angel Martinez. Croatian Foreign Minister Granic also sent replies to letters of German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel and UN Special Rapporteur for human rights in the former Yugoslavia, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Croatian Foreign Ministry stated on Saturday. Responding to concern in the international circles provoked by the UN Security Council presidential statement, based on groundless and incorrect reports sent by some UN officials on the ground and because of which Croatia has been accused both in media and diplomatic circles of abuses and violations of human rights, Minister Granic described in his letters the course of events in the last few days, which resulted in successfully finished police and military action in western Slavonia. However, Minister Granic warned that some injudicious statements and initiatives from officials of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia that the area in question be declared 'protected zone', induced remaining Serb extremists to continue fighting, instead of surrendering in line with May 3 Cessation of Hostilities agreement. Therefore another short and decisive action of Croatian police forces was necessary to finally put an end to clashes and hostilities. On behalf of the Croatian Government, Minister Granic denied all allegations that there were violations of human rights of either soldiers or civilian population of Serb nationality, and underlined that the Croatian side strictly observed international human law during the whole action and after its end, which is confirmed by numerous statement of UN representatives, EU monitors, and ICRC and UNHCR officials. The Republic of Croatia is to reintegrate this area in its constitutional and legal as well as in economic system, respecting high European standards for human and national minorities' rights, Granic said in his letters and described in detail all measures the Croatian Government was taking recently in order to reestablish entire social life in western Slavonia and to care for all population in the area. By such conduct the Republic of Croatia once again showed its readiness to carry out guidelines of the peace initiative of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, presented on November 1, 1993, which remains to be the grounds for the Croatian policy of the peaceful reintegration of the occupied areas, Granic emphasized. Croatia is ready to continue talks with rebel Serbs in the presence of international community's representatives, he wrote adding that the peaceful reintegration of its occupied areas remains to be the basis of Croatia's policies, and Croatia would like that western Slavonia may serve as a model for the reintegration grounded on law and respect for high standards for the protection of human and ethnic rights. Therefore Croatia has welcomed the international monitoring of observance of human rights and lawful behaviour in the area. At the end Minister Granic said UN Secretary-General's special representative, Yasushi Akashi, was demanded to organize a meeting between military officials of the Republic of Croatia and representatives of Croatian Serbs from the occupied areas so that the observance of the Cessation of Hostilities agreement would be ensured. The Republic of Croatia asked the UN Security Council that UNCRO in Croatia should ensure control of rocket-launcher systems in the occupied areas as well as control of military air field in Udbina, Granic wrote in his letters. (hina) mms 061746 MET may 95