COUNCIL OF EUROPE'S COMMITTEE FOR RELATIONS WITH NON-MEMBER STATES

STATES $ HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE ZAGREB, 11 Sept (Hina) - Members of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly for relations with non-member countries, who held one of its regular sessions in Zagreb yesterday, on Wednesday held a press conference. The Committee's President Jean Seitlinger recalled that the Council of Europe's Committee of Ministers would meet mid September to discuss the confirmation of Croatia's admission to the Council of Europe. The decision on Croatia's admission would be based on a report by the Committee of Ministers after their visit to Croatia, Seitlinger said. During its stay in Croatia, the Committee had met representatives of political parties, the media, non-government organisations, national minorities as well as the Croatian Premier, the Zagreb City Assembly President and the Zagreb Mayor. 'We are particularly satisfied with the fact that all persons we have met, without exception, supported a speedy admission of their country to the Council of Europe', Seitlinger said. Since they are acquainted with the special status of the city of Zagreb and the crisis which resulted from the fact that the same person performs the duty of Zagreb Mayor, who is elected by the citizens, and Zagreb County Prefect, who is appointed by the Government, the Committee proposed that the law be changed so that similar situations could be avoided in future. Speaking about freedom of the media, Seitlinger said that journalists had to follow certain rules, while on the other hand, public figures should 'learn to be less sensitive'. The conclusion on freedom of the media in Croatia would be published by the Committee in two weeks after the Committee meet their colleagues from other committees. Asked whether they had met the Croatian Helsinki Committee, one of non-government organisations, Committee members said they had not met the Croatian Helsinki Committee since out of six non- government organisations, which had been invited by the Croatian authorities to meet Committee members, the Croatian Helsinki Committee was the only organisation which did not attend the meeting. (hina) rm jn 111734 MET sep 96