ZAGREB, Jan 25 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman today
received co-chairman of the Peace Conference on Former Yugoslavia,
Lord David Owen.
Before that, Owen met Croatian Govt. Chief Negotiator with
local Serbs and President Tudjman's Chief-of-Staff, Hrvoje Sarinic.
After the talks, Sarinic announced that the northern branch of
the Adriatic pipeline would be opened this afternoon.
The pipeline would be put in operation tomorrow at 10:00 hours
when the oil "would start flowing from Omisalj to Sisak and on to
Central European countries - Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic
and Slovakia," Sarinic said.
The opening of the oil pipeline, following the earlier opening
of the Zagreb-Lipovac highway and in the context of efforts aimed
at opening the Zagreb-Belgrade and Zagreb-Knin-Split railway lines,
confirms that the process of peaceful reintegration is in full
swing," he said.
The next round of talks between the Croatian Government and
Knin Serbs, scheduled for next week, will deal with water and
electric power systems and the oil company, "which shows that the
implementation of the Dec 2 Economic Agreement is now something
real and not only a piece of paper."
Answering a reporter's question, Sarinic said UNPROFOR had
wanted to postpone the pipeline's opening for another week or two
for "ecological reasons" but the matter was settled after talks
with Akashi.
UNPROFOR may be lacking motivation after the decision to end
its mandate, Sarinic said.
A reporter asked whether Foreign Minister Granic would travel
to Belgrade as President Tudjman announced in a recent interview
with Washington Post.
"If the President said so, he must know what he's talking
about," Sarinic replied.
"All the conditions set by the President have been met, so
Minister Granic will be able to travel by the Zagreb-Lipovac
highway," Sarinic said, adding that the Belgrade talks would focus
"on serious issues, such as the recognition of the Republic of
Croatia."
Asked when the Z-4 group plan (peace plan for Croatia) would
be discussed, Sarinic said that would be known next week.
Lord Owen, who met Serbian President Milosevic and Knin Serb
leader Mikelic yesterday in Belgrade, said Milosevic was "worried
about the decision to end the UNPROFOR mandate."
"So are many of Croatia's friends," he added.
(hina) jn as
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