PRESIDENT TUDJMAN RECEIVES DELEGATION OF BH & BOSNIAN FEDERATION

( Editorial: --> 4900 ) ZAGREB, Jan 16 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman Friday received a delegation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Croat-Muslim Bosnian Federation, the President's Office said in a statement. The delegation included Bosnian Presidency member Kresimir Zubak, co-president of the Bosnian Council of Ministers Haris Silajdzic, Bosnian Federation President Ejup Ganic, his deputy Vladimir Soljic, Bosnian Foreign Minister Jadranko Prlic, and the Bosnian Ambassador to Croatia, Kasim Trnka. President Tudjman was congratulated on the successfully completed peaceful reintegration of eastern Croatia by Bosnian Presidency chairman Alija Izetbegovic's envoy Silajdzic, as well as by Zubak and Ganic. President Tudjman believed the successfully completed peaceful reintegration of the Danube river region would positively affect the outcome of the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Croatia wants to continue with serious talks with BH and the Bosnian Federation, the Croatian President said, adding this was in the interest of both countries. Croatia is interested not only in the survival of Croats in BH, but in the protection of Croatia's strategic interests as well, in line with Washington and Dayton peace agreements, said President Tudjman. He recalled a provision from these agreements on the establishment of special relations between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation. The strengthening of the Bosnian Federation could, according to Tudjman, be achieved through building a road infrastructure in line with an agreement Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the United States signed in Dubrovnik, southern Croatia, and through the strengthening of overall economic cooperation between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation. Alongside President Tudjman, also present at today's talks were Tudjman's chief of staff Hrvoje Sarinic, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic, Croatian Defence Minister Gojko Susak, Tudjman's special representative for economic cooperation between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Bosnian Federation, Franjo Greguric, Tudjman's advisor for foreign affairs Neven Madey, and the Croatian Ambassador to BH, Darinko Bago. (hina) ha jn 161137 MET jan 98