ZAGREB, March 5 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Friday received a letter from US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright concerning a decision by the international arbitration commission on Brcko, announced today by
chairman Roberts Owen, the President's office said in a statement. According to the statement, the United States counted on support by the President of the Republic of Croatia for the decision on Brcko, as a guarantor for the Dayton Peace Accords, so that it could be implemented fully and without delay. The US Secretary of State acknowledges the important role of President Tudjman in the adoption and implementation of the Dayton Peace Accords and the maintenance of regional stability. According to Albright's letter, this is to a large extent in accordance with the international community's wish for Croatia to become part of wider European and trans-atlantic integrati
ZAGREB, March 5 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on
Friday received a letter from US Secretary of State Madeleine
Albright concerning a decision by the international arbitration
commission on Brcko, announced today by chairman Roberts Owen, the
President's office said in a statement.
According to the statement, the United States counted on support by
the President of the Republic of Croatia for the decision on Brcko,
as a guarantor for the Dayton Peace Accords, so that it could be
implemented fully and without delay.
The US Secretary of State acknowledges the important role of
President Tudjman in the adoption and implementation of the Dayton
Peace Accords and the maintenance of regional stability.
According to Albright's letter, this is to a large extent in
accordance with the international community's wish for Croatia to
become part of wider European and trans-atlantic integration
processes.
Albright also called for additional steps by Croatia with the aim of
implementing the decision on Brcko and providing support for the
Dayton Peace Accords.
The decision establishing a Brcko district in Bosnia-Herzegovina,
on the territory of the whole pre-war Brcko municipality, which
will not have the quality of a third entity, is welcomed by the
Republic of Croatia as an acceptable compromise which takes into
account the interests of both entities and all three constituent
peoples in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Croatia is particularly interested
in the stability of the situation in Brcko because of Brcko's
geographic position, on the very border with Croatia.
Supporting the decision on Brcko, Croatia calls on all other
parties - signatories to the Dayton Peace Accords, to fully
cooperate in implementing the decision.
At the same time, Croatia would also like to point to the position of
the Croat people as a whole in Bosnia-Herzegovina, especially in
the town of Brcko and the Brcko-Ravne municipality, and it expects
that all of its rights concerning equality and preservation of its
national and cultural identity will be fully protected, the
statement concluded.
The international arbitration commission on Brcko on Friday
announced that the town will be a neutral district under the
authority of central bodies of Bosnia-Herzegovina and under
international supervision.
(hina) rml