US BELIEVES CROATIA WILL IMPLEMENT ERDUT ACCORD - GELBARD

( Editorial: --> 4679 ) VUKOVAR, Jan 15 (Hina)- Special envoy of the US President in charge of the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, Robert Gelbard, held a press conference in Vukovar on Thursday at which he read US President Bill Clinton's message to the people of Croatia. After reading the message, Gelbard answered reporters' questions. Asked whether he believed the Croatian government would fulfil all commitments regarding the peaceful reintegration assumed by the signing of the Erdut Agreement, Gelbard said that the United States expected Croatia to fulfil all provisions of the Agreement, and that the Croatian government had guaranteed to do so. He added the United States expected the Croatian government to fulfil its commitments from the Dayton Agreement, regarding other parts of Croatia. Considering that Croatia wanted to be a part of NATO and the European union, and that it had achieved visible and important progress, the United States believed that it would fulfil its commitments, Gelbard said. Asked about the return of Croatian Serbs who are in Yugoslavia at the moment, Gelbard recalled guarantees voiced by Croatian President Franjo Tudjman to the US Ambassador to the UN, Bill Richardson, that Croatia intended to do everything that was necessary so that refugees could return to their homes, whenever they wanted. The international community would continue to play an important role in this process, he said. It was an issue of personal choice whether someone would stay or leave. The most important thing was that conditions be the same for all, and the region secure, Gelbard said. Asked about the role of the United States in resolving the issue of the Prevlaka peninsula, which is on the border with Montenegro, Gelbard stressed that Prevlaka is a part of the Croatian territory, adding that the United States supported the UN's monitoring mission in Prevlaka. (hina) lm jn 151540 MET jan 98