TOMCIC, PETRITSCH FOR RETURN OF CROATS TO REPUBLIKA SRPSKA

SARAJEVO, Nov 6 (Hina) - A Croatian parliament delegation, led by Speaker Zlatko Tomcic, on Tuesday met Wolfgang Petritsch, the international High Representative in Bosnia-Herzegovina, in order to discuss relations between Croatia and Bosnia, and the position of Croats in the country. After the meeting, Petritsch said the two sides agreed it was necessary to call on Croats to return to Bosnia, particularly to Republika Srpska. According to Petritsch, the relations between Sarajevo and Zagreb, and between the Bosnian and Croatian parliaments, need to be strengthened. He added one needs to have in mind the difficulties of Croats as Bosnia's least numerous ethnic community. It is important that all three constituent peoples have equal rights both in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, Petritsch said. According to the constitutions of both entities, all three constituent peoples, Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs enjoy equal rights, Petritsch said. Tomcic expressed concern about the slow return of refugees to Republika Srpska, adding it was necessary to achieve the constitutive quality of all three nations on the entire Bosnian territory. According to Tomcic, such problems are obstructing the stabilisation of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina relations. Croatia is encouraging positive relations with Bosnia, and expects the same from Bosnian state institutions. If the Bosnian state institutions answer inadequately, we will ask for assistance from the international High Representative, Tomcic added. He said he was satisfied with the atmosphere of his visit to Bosnia- Herzegovina, but not with the views of some officials whose names he did not mention. (hina) np