WASHINGTON, Oct 23 (Hina) - Croatia's constructive cooperation in
the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement and a successful
completion of the peaceful reintegration of the Danube river area
can help it enter NATO's Partnership for Peace programme and in
the long run the Alliance itself, Croatian Ambassador to the
United States Miomir Zuzul said in Washington on Tuesday.
In Detroit on Tuesday, US President Bill Clinton said in a
foreign policy address on NATO's expansion that the Alliance's
door would not close after admission of the first round of
candidates.
"The US administration undoubtedly supports Croatia's bid
for integration into NATO," Zuzul said, adding that its admission
would depend on the stabilization of the whole region,
particularly Bosnia-Herzegovina.
He noted that Croatia had won solid support when it was
included in a law on NATO's expansion passed by Congress in July.
Croatian Defence Minister Gojko Susak is travelling to
Washington later this month for talks on the expansion of
military cooperation between the two countries. He is also
expected to discuss Croatia's application for association with
NATO.
"We have been told by administration officials that the pace
of admission will primarily depend on ourselves, i.e. on the
objective situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia," Zuzul
said.
"At this moment no one disputes Croatia's positive role in
the implementation of the Dayton accords and good cooperation in
eastern Croatia," he added.
Zuzul said that problems such as freedom of the media and
the right of Serb refugees to return to Croatia would certainly
be raised by some circles in the US and that their criticism in
this regard should not be underestimated.
Zuzul said that some of those issues had recently been given
publicity which they did not deserve considering the actual
situation. In some cases this could be described as a form of
pressure aimed at keeping Croatia on the desired course, he
added.
(hina) vm
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