OSCE Commissioner welcomes adoption of minority law in Croatia

THE HAGUE, 16 December 2002 - The OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities, Rolf Ekeus, today welcomed the adoption of the Constitutional Law on the Rights of National Minorities by the Parliament of the Republic of Croatia.

"I hope that this long-awaited law will make a positive contribution to the improvement of inter-ethnic relations in Croatia and in the region," said Ekeus. "The adoption of this law constitutes a positive endeavour to ensure comprehensive protection of national minorities in Croatia."

He called on the Croatian authorities to ensure full implementation of the law in order to guarantee protection of the rights that are enshrined in it, adding that he is willing to assist the Croatian authorities in this process.

The adoption of the new Constitutional Law on the Rights of National Minorities is one of Croatia's international obligations upon entry to the Council of Europe, as well as an important benchmark for implementation of the EU Association and Stabilisation Process.