MOSTAR, July 28 (Hina) - A Croatian delegation, led by Prime Minister Ivica Racan, on Friday completed its two-day official visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina with talks it held in the southern city of Mostar. In Mostar, Racan and four
Croatian ministers held talks with Bosnia's state officials and Croat-Moslem Federation representatives, headed by the Croat member of the three-man Bosnian Presidency, Ante Jelavic. This has been Racan's first official visit to Bosnia since he took office of Croatian PM six months ago. Croatian Premier expressed his satisfaction with the visit to Bosnia, particularly with the fact that the last destination of this tour was Mostar, as all who attach great importance to coexistence, tolerance and democracy in Bosnia-Herzegovina, should support efforts the purpose of which is to help Mostar to normalise its situation. In this context Racan said the incumbent Croatian
MOSTAR, July 28 (Hina) - A Croatian delegation, led by Prime
Minister Ivica Racan, on Friday completed its two-day official
visit to Bosnia-Herzegovina with talks it held in the southern city
of Mostar.
In Mostar, Racan and four Croatian ministers held talks with
Bosnia's state officials and Croat-Moslem Federation
representatives, headed by the Croat member of the three-man
Bosnian Presidency, Ante Jelavic.
This has been Racan's first official visit to Bosnia since he took
office of Croatian PM six months ago.
Croatian Premier expressed his satisfaction with the visit to
Bosnia, particularly with the fact that the last destination of
this tour was Mostar, as all who attach great importance to
coexistence, tolerance and democracy in Bosnia-Herzegovina,
should support efforts the purpose of which is to help Mostar to
normalise its situation.
In this context Racan said the incumbent Croatian Government will
back nobody who fails to contribute to the stability, coexistence
and tolerance.
The purpose of today's talks we have conducted with Croat officials
in authorities of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Bosnian Croat-Moslem
Federation is to give support to the strategic orientation of the
Bosnian Croat leadership towards the strengthening and building of
Bosnia as a joint country of three peoples, Racan said and announced
steps to develop the cooperation between Croatia and Bosnia via
institutions.
"Thus we want to show different orientation from what used to be the
practice in the past," Croatia's PM added, alluding to cases of
cooperation when it was not institutional.
Ante Jelavic said the leadership of the Croatian Democratic Union
of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) had no animosity towards the
incumbent authorities in the Republic of Croatia, and expressed the
readiness of Bosnian Croat leaders to co-operate with the recently
elected authorities in Croatia in compliance with institutional
principles.
The two-day visit of Croatia's delegation to Bosnia-Herzegovina
was viewed by Jelavic as "to date, the strongest message of the
Croatian authorities for the furtherance of the bilateral co-
operation between Bosnia and Croatia on the institutional basis."
Asked by reporters, Racan and Jelavic confirmed that the chairman
of Bosnian Presidency, Alija Izetbegovic, had expressed his
displeasure with the fact that Racan and his aides were intending to
hold talks with Bosnian Croat representatives in Mostar.
"It is our duty, on behalf of humanity and prospects in the area of
coexistence, to support all efforts aimed at renewing the
coexistence here in Mostar," Croatia's PM responded.
Racan added that Izetbegovic's remark would not cast a shadow on
positive effects of the Croatian delegation's two-day visit to
Sarajevo and Mostar.
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