AMERICAN EMBASSY COMMENTS ON ABORTED ZUBAK-GELBARD TALKS

( Editorial: --> 3517 ) SARAJEVO, March 30 (Hina) - The United States believes the Bosnian Croat leadership carries the largest responsibility for the current stagnation in the functioning of the Croat-Muslim Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. And Bosnian Presidency member Kresimir Zubak's comments following Saturday's aborted meeting with special American presidential envoy Robert Gelbard only deepened Washington's concern regarding the Bosnian Croat attitude towards implementing the Dayton agreement. This was the conclusion of a statement issued by the American Embassy in Sarajevo on Monday night concerning Zubak's reaction to the cutting short of a meeting with Gelbard in the Bosnian capital last weekend without any results achieved. The statement delivers Washington's official view that during the meeting with Zubak, Gelbard expressed America's great concern with the fact that Bosnian Croats, despite President Bill Clinton's insistence during his visit to Sarajevo in December, did not fulfill their commitment to disband the illegal institutions of pre-Dayton Herzeg-Bosnia. The American Embassy goes on to say that despite the facts and first-hand information available to the US as well as other sources, Zubak denied the continued existence of these war-time institutions. Ambassador Gelbard made it clear that denials were unacceptable for the US, the statement said. It pointed out that Zubak did not want to discuss any aspect of responsibility of Bosnian Croats for fulfilling commitments from the Washington and Dayton agreements aimed at establishing institutions of the Federation. The statement said Zubak tried to shift blame for the unacceptable situation in the Federation on others, Bosniaks (Muslims) and the international community. The US holds that all signatories to the Washington and Dayton agreements need to fulfill their obligations, despite the shortcomings of other sides. The American Embassy says in this context it regards the Bosnian Croat leadership as most responsible for the current situation in the Federation. Gelbard quoted as an example the recent Bosnian Croat blockade in state institutions which related to losses of food aid worth more than $10 million. He also blamed the Croat side for the deferral of the signing of an agreement between Bosnia and the International Monetary Fund (IMF), even though he added that the Bosniak side presented serious obstacles as well and needed to achieve more to fulfill its obligations. The American Embassy acknowledged that Zubak had the right to react to US policy in a way he thought best, but it believes that his over- defensive reaction only deepened concern over the stance and behaviour of the Bosnian Croat leadership. The statement concludes that this instance shows the lack of readiness of Bosnian Croat leaders to take responsibility for their own actions, by which Zubak's example is important since he is considered responsible for their conduct as a whole. (Hina) mm mb /rm 302207 MET mar 98