COUNCIL OF EUROPE PLANS NO ACTION REGARDING U.S. INITIATIVE

STRASBOURG, Sept 25 (Hina) - Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly president Leni Fischer said at a meeting of the Mixed Committee in Strasbourg on Thursday that the Council of Europe would not take any steps regarding a US State Department initiative on the suspension of Croatia from that organisation, the head of the Croatian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly said. Zarko Domljan stressed that French ambassador to the Council of Europe Jacques Warin presented conclusions of an informal meeting of the Committee of Ministers, which was held at the level of deputies to discuss the Washington initiative. "Warin said that the conclusion was that there was no need to take any action because the procedure of monitoring Croatia is open, rapporteurs have been appointed and the date of their visit to Croatia has been set," Domljan said. Parliamentary Assembly rapporteurs Hana Suchocka and Gunnar Janson are scheduled to visit Croatia between 9 and 12 October. Domljan said that Monitoring Committee chairman Guido de Marco may also visit Croatia with that delegation, adding that the possible visit of the chairmen of five political groups was also being considered. At today's meeting Croatian ambassador Vladimir Matek cited all Council of Europe conventions Croatia had ratified so far, announcing that the remaining ones would be ratified in time, Domljan said. The Mixed Committee consists of the heads of parliamentary delegations, the Committee of Ministers at the level of deputies and representatives of the Council of Europe Secretariat. Besides Fischer, the meeting was also attended by Secretary General Daniel Tarschys. (hina) vm 252213 MET sep 97