CROATIA PROTESTS TO YUGOSLAVIA OVER STONING INCIDENT

ZAGREB, July 1 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Ministry secretary, Zoran Piculjan, on Tuesday received the Charge d'Affaires of the SR Yugoslav Embassy in Zagreb, Veljko Knezevic, and forwarded to him a harsh protest because of an incident which happened in front of the Croatian embassy building in Belgrade, between 24.00 and 04.30 hours on the night between 30 June and 1 July. As the Croatian embassy said, a large number of people gathered in front of the embassy, shouting slogans against Croatia and throwing stones at the building. Shots were also heard. Piculjan expressed particular concern over the delayed reaction of the Belgrade police, who, according to the embassy estimates, had needed about thirty minutes to arrive at the scene from their first notification of people having gathered in front of the embassy, and their number was insufficient. Piculjan expressed dismay about the fact that the Yugoslav side had still not issued any official statement, nor had it distanced itself from the incident. Piculjan relayed to Knezevic expectations that the investigation about last night's events would be conducted speedily. Croatia also expected speedy reports about the launched investigation and legal processes against the assailants, especially those using firearms, Piculjan stressed. He expressed concern about the possible consequences last night's incident could have on the dynamics of the further process of normalisation of relations between Croatia and Yugoslavia. (hina) lm 011717 MET jul 97