ZAGREB, Aug 25 (Hina) - The fact that a conference of heads of parliaments of subjects in the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe will be held in Zagreb is yet another confirmation about Croatia's enhanced international reputation,
the Sabor's top officials told reporters on Friday. The conference, which will consider a role of parliaments in the implementation of the Stability Pact's projects and in efforts to strengthen European and Atlantic integration processes, is slated for 11-13 September. The event, which will gather some 40 delegations, takes place on premises of the Croatian national parliament. According to Sabor Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Zlatko Tomcic and Zdravko Tomac respectively, the conference will open more space for parliaments to exert their influence on factors that can accelerate the implementation of the Pact's projects. "Croatia's Sabor wants to play an active role in
ZAGREB, Aug 25 (Hina) - The fact that a conference of heads of
parliaments of subjects in the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe
will be held in Zagreb is yet another confirmation about Croatia's
enhanced international reputation, the Sabor's top officials told
reporters on Friday.
The conference, which will consider a role of parliaments in the
implementation of the Stability Pact's projects and in efforts to
strengthen European and Atlantic integration processes, is slated
for 11-13 September. The event, which will gather some 40
delegations, takes place on premises of the Croatian national
parliament.
According to Sabor Speaker and Deputy Speaker, Zlatko Tomcic and
Zdravko Tomac respectively, the conference will open more space for
parliaments to exert their influence on factors that can accelerate
the implementation of the Pact's projects.
"Croatia's Sabor wants to play an active role in the conduct of the
Stability Pact's projects," Speaker Tomcic told reporters. He
added that the conference would help the ripening of democratic
processes in the region.
A Deputy Speaker Tomac described the conferences as an opportunity
for the Sabor to reiterate its stance, in a draft text of the final
declaration, that the Pact, which is gathering a wide number of
countries, is an ideal framework for the regional cooperation and
that it is necessary to integrate Southeast European countries into
the European Union on the individual basis.
At Friday's briefing, Tomcic said he and the House of Counties
Speaker, Katica Ivanisevic, would attend a New York Millennium
Summit of parliaments' heads, set for 30 August - 1 September. The
summit will be organised by the United Nations and the oldest
association of parliaments - the Interparliamentary Union.
Tomcic announced that under the sponsorship of the Sabor, Zagreb
would host a round table on the return of Croat refugees in Bosnia-
Herzegovina's areas - the region of Banja Luka (north-western
Bosnia), and to the right bank of the Sava River (known as 'Bosanska
Posavina). The purpose of the round table is to help trigger off the
return process of Croat refugees to the Bosnian Serb entity.
Tomcic said that according to the latest data, only 520 families
returned to the Banja Luka area and less than 350 persons came back
to the Serb-controlled parts of the Bosanska Posavina.
Roman Catholic bishops in Bosnia recently quoted the figures under
which in last four and a half years, just 1,090 Croats out of over
220,000 Croat refugees came back to the Serb entity.
(hina) JN ms