RACAN; PROSPECTS FOR RETURN OF CROATS TO REPUBLIKA SRPSKA BETTER

ZAGREB, Feb 3 (Hina) - Prospects for the return of Croats in Bosanska Posavina are better today than they were yesterday, Croatian Prime Minister Ivica Racan said after the talks with Prime Minister of Republika Srpska Milorad Dodik in Zagreb on Friday. "Croatia wishes to have good relations with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Republika Srpska", Racan added and announced a visit of Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula to Banja Luka next week. Dodik said that the return of refugees was a regional problem and stressed that everyone who wished to return to Republika Srpska was free to do so. "Republika Srpska is interested in good relations with Croatia", Dodik said and expressed wish for the establishment of free trade and identical customs regulations because in his opinion economy would promote relations between Croatia and Republika Srpska. When asked whether his Government would help in catching Radovan Karadzic who was indicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) for war crimes, Dodik said that Republika Srpska absolutely supported the ICTY with whom it agreed the opening of an office in Banja Luka. Dodik said he would soon visit The Hague. Racan expressed regret about the fact that the most serious war criminals such as Karadzic were not tried before the ICTY. "As soon as this takes place, we will be able to give a complete evaluation of the work of the ICTY, but not before", Racan stressed. (hina) it jn