PM RACAN: IT IS VERY IMPORTANT FOR CROATIA TO SEE STABLE BOSNIA

ZAGREB, April 20 (Hina) - No country could be more interested than Croatia in a stable Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia's Premier Ivica Racan said on Friday after his talks with the international community's High Representative to Bosnia, Wolfgang Petritsch.#L# The Croatian PM and the Austrian diplomat discussed the latest developments in Bosnia in relation to the Hercegovacka Banka. Both officials said their Zagreb meeting had been convened thanks to their joint interest. The Croatian Premier informed Petritsch of his concern over the current situation in Bosnia and possible escalation of violence. According to Racan, a key prerequisite for a stable and secure Bosnia is the equality of all three constituent peoples (Croats, Muslims and Serbs) and Bosnia "cannot be stable without Croats." The Croats who are the incumbent officials in the structures of authority and who have been elected into legislative bodies face a special responsibility to contribute to the settlement of open issues in Bosnia, the Croatian premier said. Petritsch agreed that Bosnia had no future if all the three peoples were not represented and if they could not feel Bosnia as their home. Here in Zagreb I can be very clear: the international community did not recognise the Serb republic of Krajina which planned to secede from Croatia. Consequently, it is not going to recognise the Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia (the Croat-controlled part of the country), the High Representative said. Commenting on the recent events in Mostar, he said they were not about ethnic rights but about criminal and illegal activities which the international community could not tolerate. Commenting on the dismissal of Ante Jelavic (who was the Croat member of the Bosnian three-man Presidency), Petritsch said he could not allow a member of the state Presidency, who should protect Bosnia's constitution, to violate the constitution and establish "illegal and parallel self-rule." (hina) ms