CRO OFFICIAL FOR MISSING PERSONS REFUTES SERB ACCUSATIONS

ZAGREB, Oct 6 (Hina) - The president of the Croatian government's Commission for Detained and Missing Persons, Ivan Grujic, on Wednesday refuted as unfounded the allegations and accusations made by Maksim Korac, the president of the Yugoslav government's Commission for Humanitarian Issues and Missing Persons, who stated "the Croatian side is guilty of the interruption of negotiations between the two commissions." Korac made the allegation to Belgrade-based "Politika" of Wednesday. Croatia's Grujic said the Yugoslav side backed from the last meeting between the two commissions in Amsterdam in late March in protest against NATO's air strikes against Yugoslavia. It was impossible to resume contact since, Grujic told Hina. He explained Croatia had forwarded a message via the international community saying it was willing to resume cooperation and that it expected of Yugoslavia genuine willingness, and not just in principle, to settle the issue of detained and missing persons. Grujic said Croatia had fulfilled all obligations from international agreements, unlike Yugoslavia, which he said had not fulfilled its obligations, particularly in view of the release of 17 Croats accused of espionage. Grujic reminded court proceedings were in course for ten of the accused, whereas the remaining seven had returned to Croatia, thanks to assistance from the Croatian Embassy in Yugoslavia and the Croatian government's Commission for Detained and Missing Persons, after serving a prison sentence in Yugoslavia. Grujic reminded the Yugoslav side was obligated to release them during their prison term. Grujic told Hina he did not want to enter a polemic with Korac via the media. He singled out as especially false Korac's claim that Croatia had used NATO's strikes to interrupt negotiations. (hina) ha