FREEDOM OF MEDIA WILL INFLUENCE CROATIAN-E.U. RELATIONS

ZAGREB, May 21 (Hina) - A delegation of the European Commission and UNESCO has arrived in Croatia to assess whether Western criticism of freedom of the media is founded and its conclusions will influence future relations between Croatia and the European Union, the head of the delegation, Ivan Klaric, said in Zagreb on Tuesday after talks with Croatian deputy prime minister Vladimir Seks. Speaking at a press conference, Klaric said that Croatian Television was under complete control of the government and that it was its instrument. Speaking of freedom of the press, Klaric said that there was the impression that the press was mainly free but that there were also opinions that the government was tolerating "Feral Tribune", the Split-based satirical and investigative weekly, only as an alibi that freedom of the press existed. Seks said that the Croatian public had the opportunity to hear different political options and opinions on television and in the press. He added that there were often political objectives behind criticism of a lack of freedom of the media in Croatia. Klaric said that one of the reasons for the visit of his delegation was the recent postponement of Croatia's admission to the Council of Europe, which was officially motivated by the insufficient freedom of the media. Seks said that the decision of the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers had not been motivated by the said reasons but by political reasons. Earlier on Tuesday, the European Commission and UNESCO delegation had held talks with representatives of the Ministry for Transport and Communications and Croatian Television and editors- in-chief of the Vjesnik and Vecernji List dailies. (hina) vm mm 211758 MET may 96