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FOREIGN PRESS BUREAU ZAGREB

SPECIAL BULLETIN MARKING THE VISIT OF THE HOLY FATHER, POPE JOHN PAUL II,
TO CROATIA

October 3, 1998


IN TODAYS BULLETIN:
==================

1. Pope John Paul II Arrives in Croatia
2. Second Round of Talks on Krsko Nuclear Plant
3. Croatian National Bank Delegation Attends Annual IMF and World Bank
Meeting
4. Granic and Sanader Receive Irish Delegation
5. Granic Receives EU Troika
6. OSCE Prepared to Take Over Peace Mission in Croatian Danube Region


***

1. POPE JOHN PAUL II ARRIVES IN CROATIA
Pope John Paul II arrived in Zagreb on Friday on a three-day state and
pastoral visit to Croatia during which he will visit the Marija Bistrica
shrine and bless the late Croatian Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac.
Pope John Paul II arrived at Pleso airport at precisely 5.36 p.m. where he
was greeted by the papal nuncio Giulio Einaudi and head of state protocol
Zelimir Kramaric, and, upon exiting the plane, by a mass of people waving
Croatian and Papal flags. Upon touching Croatian soil, the Pope blessed
earth brought to him in a vessel by two boys dressed in folk costume. Here
the Pope was welcomed by Croatian President Franjo Tudman, the highest
Croatian officials and the Archbishop of Zagreb Josip Bozanic.

After the speech ceremony the Pope blessed children from Zagreb, Velika
Gorica and Sisak and made his way towards Zagrebs Cathedral, St. Stephens.

Visit URL http://www.pope.hr/english/news/ for the latest news and speeches
from Marija Bistrica.


2. SECOND ROUND OF TALKS ON KRSKO NUCLEAR PLANT
A second round of talks was held in Zagreb between Croatia and Slovenia on
an international agreement which would define the status of the Krsko
Nuclear Plant. Friday's meeting was held to review and discuss proposals
and comments submitted by both sides and to find means of resolving pending
issues.


3. CROATIAN NATIONAL BANK DELEGATION ATTENDS ANNUAL IMF AND WORLD BANK
MEETING
A delegation of the Croatian National Bank, comprised of governor Marko
Skreb, deputy governor Zdravko Rogic, and deputy president for relations
with international financial institutions, Nina Srkalovic, left for
Washington on Friday to attend the annual meting of the International
Monetary Fund and World Bank where Croatia will be represented by a
delegation of the Ministry of Finance.


4. GRANIC AND SANADER RECEIVE IRISH DELEGATION
Croatian Foreign Minister Dr. Mate Granic and his deputy, Ivo Sanader,
received on Friday in Zagreb the deputy Chairperson of the Foreign Politics
Committee of the Irish Parliament, Michael Kennedy.

Among the topics discussed were Croatia's foreign policy, its efforts to be
included in NATO, the EU and WTO and the visit of Pope John Paul II to
Croatia and his blessing of Zagrebs late Cardinal, Alojzije Stepinac.


5. GRANIC RECEIVES EU TROIKA
Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic received in Zagreb on Friday
representatives of the EU Troika - Austrian Ambassador Rudolf Bogner,
German Ambassador Volker Haak, British Ambassador Colin Munroe and Special
Envoy Per Vinther.

The EU Troika handed Granic a note in which it commended Croatia on her
signing of an Agreement on Ploce and Neum, which would contribute to better
political and economic ties between Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.


6. OSCE PREPARED TO TAKE OVER PEACE MISSION IN CROATIAN DANUBE REGION
At a press conference in Vukovar, the head of the OSCE Co-ordination
Centre, Pierre Peteers, told reporters that the OSCE was prepared to take
over the peace mission in the Croatian Danube Region from the UN Civil
Police on October 16.
The OSCE has some 120 trained police officers ready to take over from the
UN forces during ceremonies scheduled on October 15. The mandate of the
OSCE force will last as long as the OSCE peace mission, that is, to the end
of 1998. It is not yet known whether the mandate will be extended as talks
between Zagreb and the OSCE headquarters in Vienna are still underway.