GRANIC MEETS WITH GHALI AND CHAIRMAN OF SECURITY COUNCIL

NEW YORK, March 2 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic today met in New York with the UN Secretary General Boutros Ghali. Ghali congratulated Croatia on the Croat-Muslim preliminary agreement signed in Washington and stressed that with that move Croatia confirmed itself as a factor of peace and that this was a significant step towards peaceful solution to the crisis. Granic stressed that Croatia is willing to see a more efficient and active UNPROFOR in the implementation of relevant Security Council resolutions, particularly Resolution 871. He said that the Washington peace accord should not diminish the equally serious problem of reintegration of UNPAs in the entire system of Croatia. Granic emphasized that these are two congruent processes and that Croatia readily accepted the peace initiatives in Washington taking into account the guarantees by leading western countries which would support Croatia on its way towards a peaceful reintegration of UNPAs. Granic also met with the Chairman of the Security Council French Ambassador Jean Bernard Merimee. Granic informed him that simultaneously with the implementation of the agreements signed in Washington, Croatia puts the emphasis of its diplomatic activity on initiating a stronger UNPROFOR role for a rapid and successful implementation of their mandate in Croatia, with the aim of its immediate completion. 022155 MET mar 94