CROATIAN PRESIDENTIAL CHIEF-OF-STAFF RECIVES LEGION OF HONOUR MEDA L

L PARIS, Feb 5 (Hina) - French Foreign Minister Herve de Charette presented Croatian Presidential chief-of-Staff Hrvoje Sarinic with a medal of the Legion of Honour and made him, according to the French protocol, the Knight of the Legion of Honour in Paris on Wednesday. The highest and oldest French decoration was given to Sarinic for his professional service while he worked in French companies and for his credit in the development of cooperation between Croatia and France since he is in a political function in Croatia. Presenting Sarinic with the Legion of Honour, de Charette stressed that Sarinic's personal engagement, with the continual support of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, had been and remained one of the decisive elements in the progress of cooperation between the two countries, in all fields. He stressed the crucial role Croatia had played in the establishment of peace in southeast Europe, and expressed his expectation of Zagreb to continue influencing Bosnia-Herzegovina to continue its efforts in breathing life into the Bosnian Federation, and that the process of peaceful reintegration of eastern Slavonia would be completed positively, as numerous signs indicated. De Charette also spoke about relations between Croatia and the European Union, stressing that Croatia was a part of the European family and that the European Union, with its regional approach did not want to create a new institutional sub-community in the region, but to stimulate the development of good neighbourly relations and cooperation among former adversaries. he expressed conviction that through such an approach, Croatia would more easily accomplish its path to Europe. Thanking for his decoration, Sarinic said that since the start of performing of his political functions in Croatia, he had worked on strengthening relations between Croatia and France, it was his main preoccupation, but added that in the first years he found it hard because of the stance and politics of the international community which could not easily accept the disintegration of Yugoslavia and did not understand the aspiration of small nations to be independent. Sarinic held that the change in authority in France created conditions for a fertile cooperation between the two countries. Croatia did not expect unconditional friendship from France, but a policy of balance, which was being realised, Sarinic said, adding that the visit of French President Jacques Chirac to Croatia would be the crown of good relations and would give new stimulation to further connections between the two countries. (Hina) lm jn 052301 MET feb 97