CROATIA'S MINISTER KOVAC ON THREE-DAY VISIT TO BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, May 18 (Hina) - The Croatian minister in charge of the relations between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia and Bosnia's Croat-Moslem entity (the Federation), Milan Kovac, on Tuesday arrived in Sarajevo on his first official visit to Bosnia- since his recent appointment to this post. Upon his arrival, he held a meeting with the Serb member of Bosnia- Herzegovina's collective Presidency, Zivko Radisic, who is now holding the chairmanship of the Presidency. During the talks, held in the Sarajevo suburb of Lukavica, Kovac and Radisic discussed the overall relations between Croatia and Bosnia and the forthcoming first session of the Interstate Council for Cooperation. After the talks Kovac told reporters that the first meeting of this Council might be held in June. Kovac said the purpose of his visit would be his introduction to most important officials of Bosnia and the Croat-Moslem Federation. He added that this occasion would be also used for discussions on a new trade agreement, draft of which Croatia's Government has already forwarded to Bosnia's Ministerial Council. According to him, the wish of his country is to receive the response of Bosnian authorities to the draft agreement as soon as possible in order to reduce long queues, which have appeared at border crossings since the customs regime on the bilateral trade came into effect on May 15. "I believe that expert groups and chambers will promptly respond and that we shall find a joint stand on this agreement," the Croatian Minister said. Kovac announced his talks with other two members of the Bosnian Presidency - Croat Ante Jelavic and Moslem Alija Izetbegovic - on the implementation of the Agreement on Special Relations between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation. (hina) ms