De Michelis interview to Il Piccolo

Trieste, 3 September - The Trieste daily Il Piccolo today carries an extensive interview with Italian foreing minister Gianni De Michelis on the Yugoslav crisis and Italian-Yugoslav relations. De Michelis considers that, given the current situation, a recognition of Slovenia and Croatia would spark off a civil war, and no one in Europe is prepared to send troops in Yugoslavia as a defeat would be both military and political. De Michelis confirmed that the frontier between Italy and Yugoslavia as defined under the Osimo accords is final. In connection with the proposal on the creation of an autonomous province of the Italian minority, the Italian foreign minister said he did not believe that Slovenia and Croatia, intent as they are on the fostering of their statehood, would accept it. De Michelis further said that he was making every effort towards the adoption of a law on the protection of the Slovenian minority in Italy as that would give the Italian side serious arguments for negotiations on the rights of the Italian minority in Yugoslavia.