VALENTIC AND MARTINEZ MEET FOR TALKS

ZAGREB, July 5 (Hina) - Croatian Prime Minister Nikica Valentic met for talks with president of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly Miguel Angel Martinez in Zagreb on Tuesday. Valentic informed the guest about the economic and political situation in Croatia and the results of the government economic stabilization programme. Valentic reiterated that Croatia supported peaceful reintegration of its occupied territories and a negoatiated settlement. He said that right-wingers in Croatia were not so politically strong to put democracy in peril. Valentic stressed that Croatia wanted to be an active member of the European family but that it needed Europe's support in this effort. Martinez estimated that one of the main obstacles standing in the way of Croatia's admission into the oldest European institution was the fact that a part of Croatian territory was not under control of the Croatian government. He noted that the role of Croatia in the Bosnian war was in disagreement with the values of the Council of Europe. Another problem Martinez mentioned concerned human rights and the freedom of the mass media. Martinez said he was confident that progress had been made regarding Croatia's role in the Bosnian war and that he also expected to see it in the field of human rights and democracy. 051200 MET jul 94