BOSNIAN CATHOLIC AND ISLAMIC HEADS DON'T MEET KOSTUNICA

SARAJEVO, Jan 19 (Hina) - Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica, who visited Sarajevo on Friday, did not meet top dignitaries of four major religious communities in Bosnia-Herzegovina, although their meeting was previously announced. Instead of meeting with the heads of all the four religious communities, the recently elected President of Yugoslavia held talks only with the head of the Serb Orthodox Church, Dabrobosanski Bishop Nikolaj. The Roman Catholic Church in Bosnia was presented at this event by the chancellor of Sarajevo Archdiocese, Rev. Ivo Tomasevic According to the schedule of Kostunica's stay in the Bosnian capital, he should have held talks with the Islamic community's head Reis Mustafa Ceric, the Jewish community's head Jakob Finci and the Archbishop of Sarajevo, Cardinal Vinko Puljic. In the course of the day a statement was released from Reis Ceric's office reading that the head of the Islamic community in Bosnia- Herzegovina refused to meet Kostunica, as the Yugoslav President "did not want to apologise to victims of the genocide in Bosnia- Herzegovina." "Being the successor to Slobodan Milosevic, accused of war crimes, Kostunica committed a moral sin by equalising the butcher and victim, as he missed the opportunity for showing in Sarajevo any moral sensitivity and political courage which might facilitate bids to restore confidence and reconciliation," read the statement. The schedule of Kostunica's stay in the Bosnian capital was also changed in the segment where he was to visit the old Serb Orthodox Church in the downtown Sarajevo. Instead, prior to his departure from the city, Yugoslav President toured a newly-built Orthodox church on the outskirts of Sarajevo, within the Serb entity. (hina) ms