CRO FOREIGN MINISTRY REFUTES CLAIMS BY SARAJEVO DAILY PAPER

ZAGREB, Feb 16 (Hina) - Croatia has drafted annexes to an agreement on special relations with the Bosnian Federation and will deliver them by the usual diplomatic route, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday. The Ministry thereby refuted allegations by Sarajevo-based daily paper "Dnevni Avaz" which on February 16 stated under the headline "Granic's Swindle" that the Croatian Foreign Minister had hoaxed the public in a recent statement in which he claimed Zagreb had forwarded to the federal government 13 draft annexes to the special relations agreement. The Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement that during an official visit to Turkey, Granic said "the Republic of Croatia will next week forward to the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina its draft annexes to the Agreement on Special Relations between (Croatia and the Federation)." "The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (of Croatia) is astonished by the fact that 'Dnevni Avaz' has utterly altered the content of Minister Granic's statement. That it is not an accidental mistake is evidenced by the way the news item has been published and by the crude constructions used in the text," the statement said. The Croatian Foreign Ministry reiterated the annexes to the special relations agreement were completed and would be forwarded to the Bosnian Federation by the usual diplomatic routes, as announced. (hina) ha jn