WESTENDORP INFORMS TUDJMAN OF PROBLEMS IN BOSNIA (PART 2)

( Editorial: --> 4313 ) ZAGREB, Feb 24 (Hina) - In a continuation of talks with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Tuesday, the international High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina said he arrived in Zagreb because Croatia and its president had a "key role in areas settled by Bosnian Croats and in the whole of Bosnia-Herzegovina, where they are helping with the implementation of the Dayton Accords". High Representative Carlos Westendorp said there were many problems which should be resolved in co-operation with Croatian and Bosnian Croat authorities. "There has to be a resolution to the problem of the Mostar airport, which has to be opened. Next should come the problems with border crossings on the Sava River, as well as with the freedom of movement and visa requirements," he added. "Regarding the application of results of municipal elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina, the situation is most difficult in Croat municipalities," said Westendorp, adding that he believed the problems would be resolved through co-operation with Croatian authorities. President Tudjman told Westendorp that the problems in Bosnia were not only about individuals but also Bosnia's difficult historic heritage, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said. The number of Croats in Bosnia during the past five or six years has dropped by more than half, Granic said, adding that it currently stood at less than 400,000. Tudjman informed Westendorp about 35 terrorist attacks on Croats during the past several months, mostly in central Bosnia, and about seven murders, as well as damaging of religious buildings and the exodus of 80 per cent of Sarajevo's Croats, the Croatian Foreign Minister added. The Croatian President said all those facts, along with problems in Zenica, Mostar and Travnik, impeded the implementation of the peace process in the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Granic said after the talks. According to Granic, Tudjman said the problems should be urgently resolved in co-operation with the Croat leadership in Bosnia- Herzegovina. Along with Westendorp, other international officials taking part in the talks were Deputy High Representative for BH Jacques-Paul Klein, Head of the BH mission of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe Robert Barry and the UN Undersecretary for Bosnia, Elisabeth Rehn. The Croatian officials, along with President Tudjman and Foreign Minister Granic, were the President's chief-of-staff Hrvoje Sarinic, presidential adviser Neven Madey, Chairwoman of the National Committee for Restoration of Trust Vesna Skare-Ozbolt and the Croatian Ambassador to Bosnia, Darinko Bago. Granic said Croatia hoped to normalise relations with the Bosnian Serb entity, recalling that for the past month Croatia had been waiting for official permission to open a general-consulate in Banja Luka. Croatia will also consider introducing a visa system with the Bosnian Serb Republic (RS), the return of refugees to RS, resolution of property disputes and economic relations, as well as problems considering citizenship rights and passports and cleaning of the Sava River. "President Tudjman said Croatia was firmly committed to the Washington Agreement and the Dayton Accords and that Croatia and he personally would do their best to help the international community to implement them," said the Minister. When asked by a journalist to comment on President Tudjman's pronouncements on BH, from his speech at the HDZ convention, High Representative said that pronouncements made at party conventions are subsequently often blown out of proportion. "What matters are stands, not words, although it is true that words sometimes lead to stands", said Westendorp. (Hina)mm mr 242039 MET feb 98