CROATIA LODGES PROTEST AGAINST STATEMENT BY FEDERATION PRESIDENT

( Editorial: --> 7759 ) ZAGREB, March 6 (Hina) - Croatia lodged a protest on Friday against a statement made recently by the President of the Muslim-Croat Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ejup Ganic, in the United States. A statement published by the Croatian Foreign Ministry's spokesman said: "Assistant Foreign Minister Josko Paro has lodged a strong protest with the Ambassador of Bosnia-Herzegovina to Croatia, Hasan Muratovic, because of a statement made by the Federation President Ejup Ganic in the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in Washington, which can also be interpreted as Mr Ganic's call for the international community to tell the Croatian President Franjo Tudjman that it would close Croatia's borders with Italy and other neighbouring states unless Croatia opens its borders with Bosnia- Herzegovina. "During the war in Bosnia-Herzegovina, its citizens crossed the border without any difficulty and found refuge in Croatia or travelled via Croatia to other countries, and at one time there were more than half a million Bosnian citizens in Croatia, Paro said. "Croatia is one of the first and few countries which since 1995 do not require visas for all holders of valid Bosnia-Herzegovina passports, Paro said, recalling a very liberal regime of goods transport to and from the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. "That is why the request for opening the borders between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina is very surprising and Croatia strongly demands an explanation for this statement, as well as its denial. "Croatia believes that the unfounded statements by Mr Ganic, made before the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, are to the detriment of the improvement of relations and strengthening of trust between the Croat and Bosniak-Muslim peoples in the Federation and Bosnia-Herzegovina and it resolutely dismisses the obvious attempts at a deliberate creation of tension in this already troubled area. "Croatia is making continual efforts with the aim of improving relations with the Federation and Bosnia-Herzegovina in line with the consistent implementation of the Washington and Dayton agreements. In that sense, an agreement on the establishment of an inter-state council for cooperation between Croatia and Bosnia- Herzegovina will be signed soon. "Croatia hopes that talks with the Federation on the Agreement on Special Relations and the use of Ploce port and passage through Neum will start as soon as possible," said the Foreign Ministry's statement. (hina) jn rm /mb 062041 MET mar 98