SARAJEVO: CROATIA, BOSNIA WILL INTENSIFY OVERALL COOPERATION

SARAJEVO, Nov 5 (Hina) - The parliamentary cooperation between Croatia and Bosnia is of key importance for the overall relations between the two states and will in the coming period certainly be intensified, Croatian parliamentary speaker Zlatko Tomcic said in Sarajevo on Monday. Tomcic is heading a parliamentary delegation on a two-day visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina (BH). They were received by the three members of Bosnia's Presidency, Jozo Krizanovic, Beriz Belkic, and Zivko Radisic. As in the past, the two sides agreed neighbourly relations had no alternative and that both states were politically fully willing to build them further. Tomcic told the Presidency members Croatia wanted to nurture good neighbourly relations, without any interfering in Bosnia's internal matters, as expected constitutional changes for instance. "We do, however, want that Croats in BH be guaranteed the status of constituent people and that all their rights be respected," the parliamentary speaker said. He voiced hope the signing of a dual citizenship agreement between the two countries would contribute to that, and announced concrete assistance to encourage refugee returns to Bosnia. The Croatian government will invest close to DM5.5 million in the reconstruction of houses and work towards achieving an integral agreement with Bosnia to regulate refugee returns. Croatia's Deputy Foreign Minister Vesna Cvjetkovic-Kurelec, also in Sarajevo, held talks with Bosnian Foreign Ministry officials on concrete measures that have to be taken to regulate certain issues. Croatia and Bosnia have signed some 40 agreements to date and another dozen are being prepared. Following the recent signing of a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the European Union, the Croatian government is expected to focus its foreign efforts on regulating relations with neighbours, and Bosnia, with which it shares more than 1,000 km in borders, in particular. (hina) ha