ZAGREB, 27 Nov (Hina) - Our aim is to completely integrate the Croatian Danubian area into Croatia's legal and constitutional system in a peaceful way and in line with Croatian state and national interests, Foreign Minister Mate
Granic stated Wednesday, delivering his Report on the adoption of the U.N. Security Council Resolution on the extension of U.N. mandate in eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) until 15 July 1997, in the Parliament House of Representatives. He added he firmly believed in President Tudjman's words that Croatian authorities would return to Vukovar and the whole of Croatian Danubian area before 15 July 1997.
ZAGREB, 27 Nov (Hina) - Our aim is to completely integrate the
Croatian Danubian area into Croatia's legal and constitutional
system in a peaceful way and in line with Croatian state and
national interests, Foreign Minister Mate Granic stated
Wednesday, delivering his Report on the adoption of the U.N.
Security Council Resolution on the extension of U.N. mandate in
eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) until 15 July 1997, in the Parliament
House of Representatives. He added he firmly believed in
President Tudjman's words that Croatian authorities would return
to Vukovar and the whole of Croatian Danubian area before 15 July
1997. #L#
The time of major moves is behind us, Granic said, adding
that one should be responsible towards the present generation
about the date of the establishment of Croatian authority in the
Danubian area and on the Danube, but also to all future
generations about the date of Croatia's full admission into
Europe, the European Union and NATO.
In this moment, it is no longer a question of when and
how we will reach our strategic aim of entering the Croatian
Danubian area, as it is only a matter of time. There is
absolutely no doubt, in the light of the Normalisation Agreement
and the latest U.N. Resolution, that the Croatian Danubian area
is part of Croatia and that it will remain part of Croatia,
Granic stressed.
The process of reintegration of the area 'has to be
completed peacefully and within limits we have agreed on during
difficult and complex negotiations with the international
community, and as had been agreed on between President Tudjman
and General Jacques Klein', Granic said.
'Once the peaceful reintegration is completed in, as the
Resolution provides for, the time scheme 'early spring - early
summer', we will completely meet all our commitments towards our
people, without new victims and suffering. At the same time we
will make another step towards Europe'.
The Council of Europe has accepted a compromise solution and
extended the present U.N. mandate until 15 July 1997, with a
possibility of the reorganization of the U.N. Transitional
Administration in Eastern Slavonia (UNTAES) for an additional
period of six months.
'After the implementation of elections in the Croatian
Danubian area, Croatia will insist that the UNTAES military
segment withdraws after 15 July 1997, and that the U.N. presence
be reduced to a small civil monitoring mission the modalities of
which will be discussed later', Granic said. He called
for support for the policy of full cooperation of the Croatian
Government with the U.N. Transitional Administrator Jacques
Klein. That would be a considerable contribution in stepping up
the process of peaceful reintegration and more systematic
regulation of presence of various international organisations and
missions in Croatia in the period following the complete take-
over of authority in the Croatian Danubian area, Granic said.
Croatia guarantees all human and minority rights,
including the right to cultural autonomy, to all members of the
Serb minority and Croatian citizens, in line with the Croatian
Constitution and the Constitutional law and European standards,
Granic stressed.
However, 'any kind of political autonomy is out of the
question, not only because there is no reason or justification
for it, but because it would considerably destabilize the
region'.
Croatia will be responsible in its cooperation
with the international community. When it comes to vital,
strategic interests of the Croatian state and people, that
cooperation will in no case mean lenience, Granic said.
Croatia is very interested in joining the mainstream of
the European integration process, with the ultimate aim of full
membership in the European Union, Granic said.
Croatia is open to all usual forms of cooperation with
its neighbours.
'What we could not and cannot accept is that our
contractual relations with the European Union be permanently made
conditional upon close association relations with all our
neighbours, with whom we are presently connected by
a predominantly crisis character. Refusing such relations, but at
the same time establishing various forms of cooperation and
openness in individual relations with our south-east neighbours,
we want to show that, as a more developed and more stable
country, we can contribute to the stability of our neighbours,
especially of Bosnia-Herzegovina', Granic said.
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