Zagreb; 30 July 1997 (RFE/RL) -- British foreign secretary Robin Cook arrived in Zagreb today for talks with Croatian president Franjo Tudjman focusing on the aftermath of the Bosnia war.
Cook also will meet opposition leaders, independent media representatives, and international officials. Tudjman has come under increasing pressure from the West recently for discrimination against Croatia's Serb minority, preventing Serb refugees' return, failing to hand over war crimes suspects and running an authoritarian state.
Cook's talks will cover the reintegration of Serb-occupied East Slavonia into Croatia and the Croatian government's efforts to join key western organizations.
Cook arrived from Banja Luka, the largest Serb-held city in Bosnia, where he met late last night with Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic. Cook noted that there is no media freedom anywhere in the Bosnian Serb entity and said media freedom is a precondition of any democracy. He added that aid to Bosnian Serbs will be linked to their full compliance with the Dayton accords.
Cook also will meet opposition leaders, independent media representatives, and international officials. Tudjman has come under increasing pressure from the West recently for discrimination against Croatia's Serb minority, preventing Serb refugees' return, failing to hand over war crimes suspects and running an authoritarian state.
Cook's talks will cover the reintegration of Serb-occupied East Slavonia into Croatia and the Croatian government's efforts to join key western organizations.
Cook arrived from Banja Luka, the largest Serb-held city in Bosnia, where he met late last night with Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic. Cook noted that there is no media freedom anywhere in the Bosnian Serb entity and said media freedom is a precondition of any democracy. He added that aid to Bosnian Serbs will be linked to their full compliance with the Dayton accords.