ZUZUL: PRESSURE ON CROATIA CAUSED BY WRONG INFORMATION

( Editorial: --> 9873 ) ZAGREB, March 16 (Hina) - Croatia's Ambassador to the United States Miomir Zuzul said on Sunday evening that pressure exerted on Croatia by the United States had been intensified lately. The pressure was based on a set of wrong information about Croatia, Zuzul said adding he hoped that the Croatian-American relations would improve, "for which all conditions exist". Zuzul said this in an interview with Croatian Television concerning a letter sent to US President Bill Clinton by a group of congressmen asking him to exert additional pressure on Croatia to make it start respecting basic democratic principles. The letter, signed among others, by the chairman of the House of Representatives' International Relations Committee, Benjamin Gilman, Committee member Henry Hide and the chairman of the House of Representatives' Committee on the Judiciary, Tom Lantos, was published by the Voice of America several days ago. The congressmen expressed deep concern over the fact that the Croatian authorities were repeatedly manifesting intolerance towards basic political freedoms. The congressmen said that the state controlled majority of papers and electronic media and that civil freedoms of individuals were being violated. They cited examples which, in their opinion, spoke about the lack of democracy in Croatia's political system. The congressmen further said they did not expect that democracy in former Yugoslavia would be established overnight, but judged that in the seven years of independence, in developing democracy, Croatia had made too little progress. According to Ambassador Zuzul, the intensified pressure on Croatia by the US and other countries "should by no means be underestimated, since these are serious standpoints presented by serious people". In his opinion though, "a series of wrong information and wrong interpretations outside of context has happened and certain conclusions have been reached, which is then followed by reactions based on those conclusions". This did not mean that those opinions should be underestimated because they could lead to "serious consequences in our relations with the United States and the world". "I personally hope they won't, but then again, they should not be underestimated," said Zuzul. Asked how true estimations in the domestic press on the sudden cooling of Croatian-American relations are, Zuzul said that "they are in a phase where they will take a turn either towards a positive or negative direction". A kind of psychosis had been created where Croatia "will make a turn towards isolation, or, as is usually said, towards the right". Such a psychosis, Zuzul explained, "originated to a considerable extent from incomplete and wrong information, but it should not be ignored". Zuzul said he was nevertheless not pessimistic, adding that the two states should soon sign "at least two important economic agreements". Such agreements were indicators of political relations, he said. Should the agreements be signed, "there is a good chance and prospect for the development of positive relations", Croatia's Ambassador said. He announced several visits during the following months, which would "not only stabilise the current relations, but really lead towards strengthening and improving them", for which all conditions existed. "There are really no differences between the actual standpoints of the United States and Croatia, as there are no differences regarding Croatia's actions in implementing the Dayton agreement", Zuzul concluded. (hina) mm rm/mrb 161633 MET mar 98