MEETING OF FOREIGN RELATIONS COMMITTEE AND COMMITTEES ON HUMAN AND MINORITY RIGHTS

MINORITY RIGHTS $ ZAGREB, Nov 11 (Hina) - The Foreign Relations Committee and the Committee on Human and Minority Rights of the Croatian Parliament held a joint meeting on Thursday at which a report was submitted on the last week's visit of a Croatian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe in Strasbourg. Stressing that the outcome of the talks with members of the Office of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe would decide the status of Croatia as a special guest to the Assembly, Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee Zarko Domljan said that the delegation had left a good impression and that its mission had been successful. Chairman of the Committee on Human and Minority Rights Ljubomir Antic said that the talks had focused on human rights in Croatia and Croatia's relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina. The head of the delegation, Chairman of the Parliament Stjepan Mesic, said that the members of the Office asked questions about the presence of Croatian Army troops in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Parliament's control over the Government and the President of the Republic, the attitude of the Croatian Parliament towards the self-styled Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, acquisition and revoking of citizenship, centralization of power, privatization of the mass media, attitude towards opposition parties, evictions from flats previously owned by the former Yugoslav Army, carried out even by military police. They also asked whether there was a statement by either the President or Parliament categorically condemning actions and crimes committed by Croats in Bosnia, as well as Croat-operated camps in Bosnia-Herzegovina, said Mr Mesic. He went on to say that the questions also included alleged deportation of people from Serb villages to be exchanged for Croatian POWs, seizure of Serbian property, laying off Serb intellectuals from work. Mr Mesic said he believed the Croatian delegation had offered good answers to the questions. 112115 MET nov 93