WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (Hina) - An official with the Croatian mission to the United Nations on Monday welcomed the resolution on the new U.N. mandate on reintegration of the eastern Slavonia region.
WASHINGTON, Jan 16 (Hina) - An official with the Croatian mission
to the United Nations on Monday welcomed the resolution on the new
U.N. mandate on reintegration of the eastern Slavonia region. #L#
"Its goal and the way it (the resolution) designed to achieve
it, is in line with my government's aims - the peaceful, timely and
complete reintegration of the eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western
Sirmium region into the rest of Croatia," Croatian representative
Vladimir Drobnjak said addressing the U.N. Security Council session
on Monday.
He underscored that his government saw the resolution as an
expression of the Council's decisiveness to go beyond a passive
protection of the Croatia's territorial integrity within its
internationally recognized borders, and to actively reestablish --
through the work of Transitional Administrator and the UNTAES
mission -- Croatian sovereignty over the eastern Slavonia, Baranja
and western Sirmium area.
The demilitarization was doubtlessly a critical issue of the
UNTAES's success, Drobnjak added.
"We believe it could be accomplished," he said, adding that
some resistance may occur, particularly among local Serb leaders.
But it might be overcome, "firstly, by creating a program to
resettle local occupational leaders to other countries, and
secondly, with an active role by the government in Belgrade.
"The latter might start at once, with an immediate withdrawal
of the Yugoslav regular and irregular forces and equipment from the
area," he said.
Drobnjak stressed that Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia
and Montenegro) should move to recognition of Croatia with its
internationally recognized borders, adding that Croatia was willing
to do the same.
He also greeted "any linkage between the UNTAES and IFOR
(Bosnian peace Implementation Force)".
Commenting on the resolution's parts in which the Security
Council stipulated to reconsider the implementation of the U.N.
mandate following the Secretary General's reports, Drobnjak said
that Croatian government understood these provisions as the
Council's intention to abort the UNTAES mandate if the
demilitarization is not accomplished and if --in any time after
that -- any other significant stipulation of the mandate is not
implemented, particularly the return of 126,000 displaced non-
Serbs.
Drobnjak said Croatian government strongly supported the
appointment of Jacques Klein to the post of Transitional
Administrator, adding the government was willing to provide him
with all necessary assistance.
"If we appear unable to accomplish the Council's aims under
his authority, it would probably mean the aims cannot be achieved
peacefully at all.
"My government once again greets the blue helmets, this time
with a sincere hope that this operation will be briefer and more
successful than the previous two and will, most importantly, cause
no casualties," Drobnjak told the session.
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