ZAGREB, Feb 24 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Ivica Racan said on Thursday that dividing Bosnia-Herzegovina into cantons need not be in contravention of the Dayton agreements, but stressed Dayton has to be implemented "so that one could go
further than that."
ZAGREB, Feb 24 (Hina) - Croatian Premier Ivica Racan said on
Thursday that dividing Bosnia-Herzegovina into cantons need not be
in contravention of the Dayton agreements, but stressed Dayton has
to be implemented "so that one could go further than that." #L#
"As far as I am concerned, I see very good prospects in dividing
Bosnia-Herzegovina into cantons," Racan said, addressing
reporters after a meeting with the international community's High
Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Wolfgang Petritsch.
"The idea of cantonising Bosnia-Herzegovina can be very dynamic and
divided into phases and it need not be in contravention of the
Dayton agreement," Racan said, adding that "refusing cantonisation
in the name of implementing the Dayton agreement can do a disservice
both to the Dayton agreement and Bosnia's future."
Racan and Petritsch agreed that it was necessary to first implement
the Dayton agreement, however, they did not exclude the possibility
of adopting changes to the agreement once it was implemented.
Racan emphasised that the Croatian Government supported
implementation of the Dayton agreement, however, "one should go
even further because life requires new solutions."
"We know, of course, that Dayton is not perfect, that there are
possibilities to fine-tune it and improve it... however, I must say
that we have not reached that stage yet," Petritsch said, adding the
agreement was not a sacred thing.
The Premier and the High Representative also discussed economic
relations between Croatia and Bosnia and the return of refugees.
"We want to ensure the return of all Croatian citizens to their
homes without any regulative or practical discrimination," Racan
said, urging the international community to provide assistance for
the return of refugees due to the difficult economic and social
situation in Croatia.
Croatia does not want assistance only in the reconstruction of
houses, but also in the revival of its economy so that returnees
could have means of subsistence.
Commenting on Croatia's support for Bosnian Croats, Racan said
Croatia would continue to provide it, however, within a strictly
determined framework.
"We want to continue supporting the Croat people in Bosnia-
Herzegovina but in the way which is the only possible and useful way
both for the Croat people and Bosnia-Herzegovina as an independent
state and for the Croatian state," Racan said.
(hina) jn rml