WILLIAM PERRY LEAVES ZAGREB FOR USA

( Editorial: --> 2240 ) ZAGREB, May 7 (Hina) - Former US Defence Secretary William Perry left for the United States Thursday afternoon after having attended the funeral of the late Croatian Defence Minister Gojko Susak in Zagreb. US Ambassador to Croatia, William Montgomery, who accompanied Perry to Zagreb airport, said Perry had attended the funeral not only as an official representative of his country, but also as Susak's old friend. "We were very pleased he was able to come today, I think it shows the respect that the United States had for Minister Susak, and also the respect that Secretary Perry had," Montgomery said. Asked whether the death of Gojko Susak would change military relations between Croatia and the United States, Montgomery said he expected military cooperation between the two countries to continue. "We are of the expectation that it will stay the same, it's our expectation that we will continue to work with the Croatian military, to see that it reaches the vision that Minister Susak had for it, which is (to become) a member of Euro-Atlantic institutions," he said. (hina) lm as /mb 071628 MET may 98