OSCE MISSION HEAD IN BOSNIA WELCOMES CROATIAN RETURN PROGRAMME

( Editorial: --> 4766 ) ZAGREB, June 30 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Tuesday met with the head of the OSCE Mission in Bosnia- Herzegovina, Robert Barry, whom he informed about the Programme for the Return and Accommodation of Displaced Persons, Refugees and Exiled Persons. The Programme for Return was ratified last week by the Croatian National Parliament. Barry welcomed the document as well as the latest measures taken by the Croatian Government in the implementation of the peace process, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The said measures include the cancellation of visa requirements for Bosnian citizens from Republika Srpska who have new BH passports, the opening of a Croatian general consulate in Banja Luka and the signing of an Agreement on Establishing the Inter-State Cooperation Council between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Granic informed Barry about the status of talks on the use of the Croatian port of Ploce and passage through the Bosnian town of Neum and special relations between Croatia and the Croat-Muslim Federation. Granic stressed Croatia's determination to consistently implement the Washington and Dayton agreements. The two officials also discussed the forthcoming elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina. (hina) as rml 301852 MET jun 98