CROATIA WILL PERSIST IN NORMALISING RELATIONS WITH YUGOSLAVIA

( Editorial: --> 7850 ) STRASBOURG, 28 Jan (Hina) - Croatia is aware of its responsibility in the further democratisation in the region and will steadfastly persist in normalising relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, in spite of strengthening extreme forces and worsening political conditions in that country, said Nikola Obuljen, head of the Croatian National Parliament's delegation in the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly. He stressed that Croatia has signed eight bilateral agreements with Yugoslavia and completed the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube River region, fulfilling all its obligations to the international community. Obuljen said that in the near future Croatia and Yugoslavia planned to resolve the issue of Prevlaka, Croatia's southernmost peninsula, which for Croatia is exclusively a security, and not a territorial problem. Croatia is dissatisfied with the situation of the Croatian minority in Yugoslavia, Obuljen said. In April last year we sent Yugoslavia a draft agreement regulating minority rights but as yet we have not received a response, said Obuljen. In regards to the Council of Europe's request that conditions for the return of Serb refugees from Yugoslavia to Croatia be improved, Obuljen stressed that up until now more Serbs have returned to Croatia from Yugoslavia and from the Croatian Danube River region to other parts of Croatia than Croats to eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Sirmium. Obuljen called on the Council of Europe and the international community to assist Croatia in reconstruction so that the return of Croat and Serb refugees could be accelerated. (hina) mrb mm 281919 MET jan 98