CROATIA REFUSES TO BE PART OF ARTIFICIAL ASSOCIATIONS - MATESA

GRAZ, Nov 8 (Hina) - The Croatian Prime Minister, Zlatko Matesa, on Friday addressed the meeting of prime ministers of CEI member states in Graz, Austria. Following are some highlights from Matesa's speech: "It is a well-known fact that Croatia attaches an exceptional strategic importance to its cooperation with the CEI countries," Matesa said. "As a Central European and Mediterranean country, the Republic of Croatia is an integral part of the European civilisation, as currently exemplified by its economic, political and social aspirations for an active part in the process of European integration," Matesa said. "Such orientation obviously determines Croatia's positioning in all current processes, from the institutionalisation of its relations with the European Union and its inclusion in the Euro- Atlantic structures through the "Partnership for Peace" programme and a more direct cooepration with NATO, cooperation with the Council of Europe, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, as well as the Central European Initiative," he said. "May I further point out that, in spite of the grim aftermath of the aggression against Croatia waged in the early nineties, in spite of the multiple evidence of the impossibility of a joint state in the area of the former Yugoslavia in the course of the 20th century, some agents of European policies are making repeated attempts to create some artificial associations and assigning Croatia a place in it beforehand," Matesa said. Croatia supported all types of regional cooperation aimed at strengthening peace, security and stability, as well as establishing economic relations based on full respect of the integrity, sovereignty and equality of all states. "Croatia turns down any attempt to make it party to some artificial political associations," Matesa stressed. He noted that the reconstruction of war-torn parts of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina remained among the basic items of the Dayton Agreements. "Croatia expects that the Central European Initiative will by its further activities in the field of economic cooperation and structural dialogue between it and the European Union play a constructive role in the process of political and economic transformation of the member states towards their future membership of the European Union," Matesa concluded. (hina) mm as 081918 MET nov 96