NEW VERSION OF AGREEMENT WITH BH FEDERATION - GREGURIC

( Editorial: --> 9233 ) ZAGREB, April 24 (Hina) - The most recent developments in relations between Croatia and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Derventa incident and the return of Serbs to Croatia were the main topics at the press conference held by the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) on Friday in Zagreb. A new version of the special relations agreement with the BH Federation, a draft of the agreement on free access to the Adriatic and the passage through Neum, as well as the agreement proposal to set up a company for the construction of the Zagreb-Dubrovnik motorway via BH have been prepared, reported a member of the HDZ National Council and the President's special envoy to BH, Franjo Greguric. The three documents create a whole, and as such have been submitted to the representatives of the BH Federation, the Contact Group, as well as the international community. The new special relations proposal focuses on stimulating economic cooperation, infrastructure development and assurance of a better circulation of people and goods between Croatia and the BH Federation, which I believe is fully acceptable and do not expect disagreements, Greguric said. As for the agreement on the use of the Croatian port of Ploce by the BH Federation, "Croatia is not in the position, or willing, to give the exterritorial right," Greguric said. The HDZ spokesperson, Drago Krpina, called the attack on Croatian refugees and Cardinal Puljic at Derventa an act of terrorism. "It shows how safe those Croats willing to return to their homes in Republika Srpska can be," Krpina added. "It is absurd that, at the same time, Croatia is being unfairly pressured in regard to the return of Serbs," Krpina said. "Croatia is not preventing the return of Serbs, and so far we've had about 30,000 returnees," Krpina said and asked what was the number of Croat returnees to Yugoslavia, Republika Srpska, or the Muslim controlled regions of the BH Federation. Answering a question, Krpina said that the decision on who the new Minister of Justice would be had not yet been reached, and that the departing president of the Croatian Intelligence Service had been released from his duties on his own request, due to the stress of the position and his wish to devote himself to scientific work. (hina) jn jfk/mrb 241802 MET apr 98