ONLY TWO BOSNIAN CROAT PARTY LEADERS HOLD TALKS WITH TUDJMAN

( Editorial: --> 6116 ) ZAGREB, Aug 26 (Hina) - Only two Bosnian Croat party leaders arrived for talks with Croatian government officials in Zagreb on Wednesday. Croatian President Franjo Tudjman invited leaders of Croat parties participating in next months elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina for talks in Zagreb. Only the Croatian Democratic Union of Bosnia- Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) president, Ante Jelavic, and Croat Party of Rights of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HSP BiH) president, Zdravko Hrstic, held talks with Croatian officials. The other six party officials excused themselves, saying the reason for their failure to arrive for the meeting were their duties and lack of time. Special Croatian president's envoy for Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Croat-Moslem Bosnian Federation, Franjo Greguric, told reporters after the meeting that he did not agree the other party representatives could not have found the time to come for talks. "This says more about them than us," Greguric said. The invitation to all leaders of Croat parties in Bosnia had been justified because the Croat population in Bosnia-Herzegovina was not that numerous, and Croat interests should be maximally protected, Greguric said. The aim of this meeting was to inform Croat leaders about the recent talks between Tudjman and the high international representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Carlos Westendorp, and his deputy Jacques Klein, as well as about the further implementation of the Washington and Dayton agreements. It is the constitutional obligation of Croatia to care for the Croat people in Bosnia-Herzegovina and for their constitutiveness in the country to be implemented fully, in line for the peace agreements, Greguric stressed. He underlined that these agreements should be implemented, not amended. The talks also focused on the September elections in Bosnia- Herzegovina. (hina) lml 261713 MET aug 98