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FOREIGN PRESS BUREAU ZAGREB
Daily Bulletin

October 8, 1998

In todays bulletin:
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� CROATIA

1. Beatification of Cardinal Stepinac Crowned Pope John Paul IIs Visit
2. Matesa Receives Director of Parsons Corporation
3. Delegates From Montenegro are not to Attend Future Talks
4. Sakic to be Extradited Within the Next 30 Days
5. Finance Minister & National Bank Governor Meet With Slovenian Counterparts
6. Restoration Conference Will Depend on Speed of Implementation
7. Croatian Ambassador to UN Informs on Measures Taken by Croatia
8. Two-way Return Discussed in Osijek
9. Restoration Talks on Beli Manastir
10. Exhumations on Bodies From Mass Grave Near Sotin Underway
11. Zadar Defence Day
12. Flooding & No Electricity in Pula Following Storm
13. Sports & Education Minister Visits Karlovac
14. Croatia Partakes in Weapons & Military Fair in Athens
15. Publishers Will Represent Croatia at Annual Frankfurt Book Fair

� BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

16. Situation Peaceful in Tasovcici
17. Mandate for High Representative to Last Until End of 1999


***

� CROATIA


1. BEATIFICATION OF CARDINAL STEPINAC CROWNED POPE JOHN PAUL IIS VISIT

During his audience on St. Peter's Square in Rome, Pope John Paul II
commented upon his recent visit to Croatia stressing that the beatification
of Cardinal Alojzije Stepinac in Marija Bistrica had crowned his visit. The
Pope added that Stepinac represented a figure which integrated the 20th
century and that he had been the victim of three totalitarian regimes:
fascism, nazism and communism, for refusing to part with the Catholic
Church and remaining true to Rome.


2. MATESA RECEIVES DIRECTOR OF PARSONS CORPORATION

The Croatian Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa received the executive director
of the Parsons Corporation James F. McNulty and his associates in Zagreb on
Wednesday. Parsons Corporation will head a project to upgrade the Zagreb
thermo-electric power plant, which will run to the tune of 128 million U.S.
dollars and should be completed by the year 2000.


3. DELEGATES FROM MONTENEGRO ARE NOT TO ATTEND FUTURE TALKS

Delegates from Montenegro, part of the FRY expert team taking part in talks
between Yugoslavia and Croatia on Prevlaka, will not be attending future
talks. The reason for such a decision was the refusal of FR Yugoslavia to
include the opening of the Debeli brijeg pass on the border between
Montenegro and Croatia into its agenda.


 4. SAKIC TO BE EXTRADITED WITHIN THE NEXT 30 DAYS

Argentinean authorities have authorised the extradition of Nada Sakic to
Croatia, which should occur within the next 30 days so that she may be
interrogated and tried at the Municipal Court in Zagreb.


5. FINANCE MINISTER & NATIONAL BANK GOVERNOR MEET WITH SLOVENIAN COUNTERPARTS

The Minister of Finance, Borislav Skegro and the governor of the Croatian
National Bank, Marko Skreb, met with their Slovenian counterparts in
Washington on Wednesday. They are currently participating in the annual
session of the World Bank and the IMF. Both parties agreed upon the need
for increased fiscal savings measures, which will lead to more restrictive
budgets for 1999 and the year 2000.


6. RESTORATION CONFERENCE WILL DEPEND ON SPEED OF IMPLEMENTATION

During an interview for HINA, OSCE spokesperson Mark Thompson said that the
long awaited restoration and development conference for Croatia depends on
how fast Croatia implements commitments relating to the restoration process
and the return of refugee Serbs.

The UNHCR spokesperson Andrej Mahecic said Croatia was effectively
implementing the Return Plan, but that Croatian and Serbian returnees were
not being treated in the same way.


7. CROATIAN AMBASSADOR TO UN INFORMS ON MEASURES TAKEN BY CROATIA

Croatian Ambassador to the UN, Spomenka Cek, informed the UN Executive
Committee on the two-way return process and positive measures being taken
by Croatia to speed it up. Cek also warned of the potential problem of
Kosovo refugees seeking protection with relatives living in Croatia.


8. TWO-WAY RETURN DISCUSSED IN OSIJEK

A delegation of the Council of Europes Committee for Refugees visited
Osijek on Wednesday where it discussed the two-way return with
representatives of the Osijek-Baranja municipality and the city of Osijek.


9. RESTORATION TALKS ON BELI MANASTIR

The Osijek-Baranja prefect Srecko Lovrincevic, the chairperson of the HDZ
Municipal Committee Branimir Glavas, Beli Manastir mayor and deputy mayors,
Simo Stupar, Josip Kompanovic and Zoran Ognjenovic, and city officials met
in Beli Manastir on Wednesday to discuss the restoration of roads and
street lights. The international community is also prepared to fund a youth
centre.


10. EXHUMATIONS ON BODIES FROM MASS GRAVE NEAR SOTIN UNDERWAY

Exhumations of bodies from the mass grave near Sotin are underway. So far
five out of eight found have been uncovered. Test exhumations are being
undertaken on two other sites near Sotin where it is believed people killed
in the Vinkovci and Vukovar region were buried in 1991.


11. ZADAR DEFENCE DAY

As part of Zadar Defence Day, the Deputy Mayor of the city, Radovan
Dunatov, received the commander of military units stationed in and around
Zadar, the chief of police, representatives of the parents of fallen
defenders, widows and war veterans. The day was also commemorated by Zadar
city and municipal officials, who placed a wreathe beneath the central
cross at the Zadar cemetery.


 12. FLOODING & NO ELECTRICITY IN PULA FOLLOWING STORM

Pula and surrounding villages saw strong southerly winds and heavy rain on
Wednesday. Due to blocked sewers all major roads have been flooded, passage
through Pula is almost impossible and its centre is without electricity.


13. SPORTS & EDUCATION MINISTER VISITS KARLOVAC

During his visit to Karlovac, the Minister of Sport and Education, Bozidar
Pugelnik, said that 11.8 million Croatian kunas would be invested into the
restoration of junior and secondary schools and invested into sports
grounds and new sports equipment.


14. CROATIA PARTAKES IN WEAPONS & MILITARY FAIR IN ATHENS

The International Weapons and Military Equipment Fair, "Defendory '98"
opened on Tuesday in Athens. In all 240 exhibitors from 30 countries are
participating, including Croatia which is exhibiting light artillery,
military shipbuilding and the production of light armoured vehicles and
tanks. The fair remains open until October 10.


15. 27 PUBLISHERS WILL REPRESENT CROATIA AT ANNUAL FRANKFURT BOOK FAIR

Croatia will be represented at the annual Frankfurt Book Fair at two
separate stalls. The national stall, comprised of 27 publishers making up
the Croatian Union of Publishers and Booksellers, was opened by Croatian
Minister of Sport and Education Bozidar Pugelnik.


***

� BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA


16. SITUATION PEACEFUL IN TASOVCICI

Head of the Office of the International High Representative, Michael
Garrod, told reporters at a press conference held in Mostar, that the
situation in Tasovcici was peaceful. SFOR spokesperson for the Southeast
Division, Francois Grandeau, said that stabilisation forces were still
present in the region.


17. MANDATE FOR HIGH REPRESENTATIVE TO LAST UNTIL END OF 1999

The Steering Committee of the Council for the Implementation of the Dayton
Accords has decided to propose that the mandate of the International High
Representative to Bosnia last until the end of 1999. The Council will
convene in Madrid on December 15-16.


***

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