PAVLETIC RECEIVES BOSNIAN CROAT DELEGATION

ZAGREB, Dec 21 (Hina) - Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina are concerned about attempts to question the constituent quality and sovereignty of the Croat people in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Croatia will persevere in the most determined protection of those rights, it was said at Tuesday's talks between Croatian Parliament President and acting head of state, Vlatko Pavletic, and a Bosnian Croat delegation. According to a statement issued by the President's Office, Pavletic today received representatives of the Croat people in the authorities of the Croat-Muslim Federation and the state of Bosnia- Herzegovina, who were led by the Chairman of the BH Presidency, Ante Jelavic. The talks tackled the current relations between Croatia and the Federation and Bosnia-Herzegovina, as well as the position of the Bosnian Croat people, the statement said. The Bosnian Croat political leadership expressed concern about increasingly recognisable attempts within Bosnia-Herzegovina and the international community to question the constitutional quality and sovereignty of the Bosnian Croat people. "Croatia will persevere in advocating and protecting in the most determined manner this basic right of the Bosnian Croat people, which is Croatia's constitutional obligation and strategic interest," it was said at the talks. The two sides also agreed that it was necessary to improve the cooperation between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, especially in economy. "The need was emphasised to agree on and adopt annexes to the Agreement on Special Relations between Croatia and the Federation, which were proposed by Croatia," the statement said. It was confirmed that both sides would continue to implement the Washington and Dayton agreements. The Bosnian Croat delegation also paid tribute to the late Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, stressing his contribution as the architect of the modern Croatian state and the first democratically elected president of Croatia. (hina) mm rml