CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES U.S. PRESIDENT'S SPECIAL ENVOY

( Editorial: --> 3144 ) ZAGREB, Mar 29 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman Saturday held talks with the United States President's special envoy for the former Yugoslavia, Robert Gelbard. The talks focused on overall relations between Croatia and the U.S. and the situation in the region, with special attention given to the Kosovo crisis, Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic stated after the meeting.biltglob He said the talks were conducted in a "very good atmosphere" and believed that relations between Croatia and the U.S. would continue to improve. Assessing his talks with the Croatian President as very positive and useful, Gelbard emphasised that Croatia and the U.S. had cooperated very closely in issues related to Eastern Slavonia where, the special envoy said, the U.S. had been one of the chief advocates for the implementation of the Erdut agreement on the reintegration of Eastern Slavonia. "Croatia will continue to implement those measures and obligations and pursue with the policy which resulted in the successful completion of the UNTAES (United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Sirmium) mandate", said Foreign Minister Granic. He and Gelbard welcomed the advancement in internal democracy in the Bosnian Serb entity. Granic stressed that relations between Croatia and the Bosnian Serb entity would continue to develop. "Apart from (Bosnian Serb) Premier Milorad Dodik's visit to Zagreb, experts' talks are under way regarding the advancement of economic relations and the bilateral return of displaced persons (to their homes)", the Foreign Minister pointed out. "As regards the (Croat-Muslim) Federation (of Bosnia- Herzegovina), Croatia fully supports the Dayton and Washington (peace) agreements and negotiations with BH and the Federation", Granic said. He added an agreement on the establishment of a Council for cooperation was expected to be signed Monday, and that negotiations would continue on special relations and the building of a motorway, crossing BH, to the southern Croatian port of Dubrovnik. Speaking about the crisis in the south Yugoslav province of Kosovo, the U.S. President's special envoy said that Croatian and American views of the situation in Yugoslavia and Kosovo coincide and that the two countries are aware of the danger that area represents for the region. Gelbard expected that close cooperation with Croatia regarding that issue would continue because, he said, the U.S. and Croatia share the same views on the matter. Granic said that Croatia "shares the concern of the U.S. and of the whole international community, and supports American efforts aimed at establishing dialogue between Kosovo Albanians and Serbian authorities". (hina) ha 291100 MET mar 98