AMBASSADOR NOBILO'S ADDRESS TO UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

NEW YORK, Nov 3 (Hina) - "This debate today and the draft resolution before us should serve as a forum to remember and reaffirm (...) our solemn responsibility to humanity - to stand up and defend the innocent from archaic ideologies, barbarism and state-sponsored mass murder. The role of the Belgrade leadership in this cannot and should not be minimised nor traded away," Croatian Ambassador to the UN told the UN General Assembly today. "The International Tribunal for punishment of war crimes does give us hope that Omarska and many other such testimonials to genocide will not be forgotten nor erased by hasty and easy political manoeuvres," he said. "In this regard, the Assembly must remain cognizant of its decisions to reject all attempts by the new entity called the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) can assume neither the sole nor automatic succession of the former Member State." Nobilo said the international community's policy od good intentions, despite obvious shortcomings, had some positive elements: humanitarian assistance, legal protection for pre-war borders and the International Tribunal. Nobilo recalled that Croatia's efforts "have saved and cared for some 800,000 victims of Belgrade aggression in Bosnia- Herzegovina. "Croatia has contributed some US$ 832 million for care of Bosnian refugees through 1993, and will continue to do whatever is reasonably possible in this regard," NObilo said. Reiterating Croatian Government's support to the Washington Agreements, Nobilo deplored the "worrisome" fact that "since the Washington Agreements were signed, some 40,000 Bosnian Croats have departed from some areas under control of the Federation." "We are also concerned by reports about the expulsion of Bosniac Moslems from Mostar," he said. Nobilo stressed the importance of border supervision in view of "coordinated activities of Bosnian Serb paramilitary units and Serb paramilitary units from the occupied territories of Croatia." He noted that "Croatia reserved the right to act with all appropriate means against any military involvement from its sovereign territory against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina." (hina) jn as 041315 MET nov 94