CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER SATISFIED WITH U.S. VISIT

( Editorial: --> 9513 ) WASHINGTON, July 23 (Hina)- Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Thursday expressed satisfaction with his visit to the United States. "The talks I had were very friendly, open and constructive," the Croatian Foreign Minister said in Washington. During his stay in the American capital he talked with US State Secretary Madeleine Albright, the special US representative for the Dayton Accords Bob Gelbard, Deputy Defence Secretary Walter Slocombe and the Foreign Affairs Committee chairman of the US Congress House of Representatives, Benjamin Gilman. "The visit comes at a time when debate on the remaining obstacles to Croatia's membership in Partnership for Peace (PfP) is still going on," Granic said. The American side informed its guests about the US's conditions for Croatia's membership in the NATO PfP programme, including the full completion of obligations from the Dayton Accords, implementation of the Programme for the Return and Accommodation of Displaced Persons, Refugees and Exiled Persons and further efforts on the country's democratisation. A joint statement after the Granic-Albright meeting said they hoped that the conditions could be met by the end of the year. Before he left Washington, Minister Granic talked with leaders of the influential Jewish organisation B'nai B'rith. (Hina) jn mro /mbr 232044 MET jul 98