CROATIAN NATIONAL COUNCIL IN BOSNIA ENDS ITS THIRD CONVENTION

SARAJEVO, Feb 19 (Hina) - The third convention of the Croatian National Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina ended in Sarajevo on Saturday afternoon with the adoption of conclusions on the political, economic and cultural situation among the Bosnian Croats, which express commitment to the Dayton peace agreement and stress the need to improve that basic agreement. The political sovereignty of the Croat people and all other peoples in Bosnia-Herzegovina can be achieved only if the Dayton agreement is fully implemented but also if it is improved with the aim of establishing the rule of law, under which all people and nations will be constituent and equal on the whole territory of Bosnia- Herzegovina, it is said in the conclusions. Following a five-hour discussion, some 200 participants agreed that Bosnian Croats were optimistic regarding political changes in Croatia and believed the new authority would invest more efforts in the field of refugee return and assistance. The convention also adopted a proposal for dividing the country into cantons. The president of the Croatian National Council of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ivo Komsic, said the proposal was not aimed against the Dayton agreement but it pointed to the need to improve it. The convention was also attended by numerous international representatives. Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and Sabor President Zlatko Tomcic sent messages of support, among others. (hina) rml.