FOREIGN MINISTRY SENDS NOTE TO DUTCH AMBASSADOR - STATEMENT

ZAGREB, Jan 24 (Hina) - Croatian Assistant Foreign Minister Hido Biscevic on Friday handed a note to Dutch Ambassador Jozef Scheffers expressing "great discontent" with his interview with the Novi List daily published on January 24, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The Foreign Ministry said in the note that the estimates and certain views presented in the interview were "inadequate and politically counterproductive, particularly the comments about the stance of the Republic of Croatia towards current regional initiatives." The ministry believes that public statements on the political views of a host country go outside the usual diplomatic behaviour, the statement said. The ministry expressed a hope that the Netherlands, as the current chair of the European Union, "will in the future more carefully assess the constructive role of the Republic of Croatia in consolidating the peace, stability and cooperation in this part of Europe. In this context, the Republic of Croatia expects the renewal of negotiations on contractual relations with the EU." Upon reception of the note, Scheffers expressed regrets about the event, offering assurances that his intention was to "give an outline of the EU views on the situation in the wider region." Scheffers stressed that he had granted the interview to the Rijeka-based daily two weeks ago and that some of his estimates were distorted by the newspaper, noting that the headline of the text was completely inadequate and incorrect. Scheffers expressed a hope that this misunderstanding would not affect the intensifying bilateral relations between Croatia and the Netherlands as well as Croatia's relations with the EU, the statement concluded. (hina) vm jn 241800 MET jan 97