FOREIGN MINISTRY DENIES HEADLINE IN "JUTARNJI LIST"

( Editorial: --> 6916 ) ZAGREB, May 27 (Hina) - The Croatian Foreign Ministry on Wednesday denied a headline in today's issue of the daily "Jutarnji list" saying Ambassador Darko Bekic has been replaced. The Ministry said the headline "Darko Bekic, Ambassador to the United Nations, Replaced" was not correct and had not been checked. Dr Darko Bekic was ambassador to the Mission of the Republic of Croatia to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) since January 26, 1993 and was then, in line with the regular procedure of change of ambassadors, transferred to the Mission of the Republic of Croatia in the United Nations in Geneva on November 1, 1996. In line with a new, regular change of ambassadors and following a proposal by the Foreign Ministry, the President of the Republic decided that Bekic should be replaced to a new responsible diplomatic office, of which the public will be informed in due course after the procedure set by diplomatic protocol is finished, the Ministry said in the statement. (hina) rml/bag 271447 MET may 98