LOWER HOUSE BEGINS FIRST AUTUMN SESSION

( Editorial: --> 2425 ) ZAGREB, Sept 23 (Hina) - The Croatian National Parliament's House of Representative on Wednesday began the first session after the summer break. The agreement on free passage through Neum, in Bosnia-Herzegovina (BH), and on the Croatian port of Ploce has not been signed, but initialled, Economy Minister Nenad Porges said in answer to a representative's question. In order for the agreement to be signed, Croatia and the Croat- Muslim Federation of BH first have to sign an agreement on special relations, Porges said. The Economy Minister explained the Neum and Ploce agreement was the subject of negotiations between Croatia and BH, as such agreements were, in line with the Dayton peace agreement, under jurisdiction of the BH Council of Ministers. Representatives of BH and Croatia on September 10 initialled the agreement by which Croatia enables the BH Federation to have free passage through and use of Ploce, a port in southern Croatia, and by which the BH Federation gives Croatia free passage through Neum, BH's access to the sea which cuts through Croatia's southern-most territory. The signing of the agreement had been envisaged in the Washington peace agreements, as part of a package of then signed agreements on confederative relations between Croatia and the BH Federation. Later in the session, Croatian Interior Minister Ivan Penic told representatives the Ministry had completed an investigation into the murder of two Croatian policemen on an eastern Croatian border crossing with Yugoslavia in May. All the culprits are known, and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Croatia made and will insist on an extradition request to Yugoslavia, Penic said. Also completed was the investigation in a case in which Croatian policemen of Serbian nationality exceeded their authority in the eastern town of Vukovar in the battering of a Croatian Homeland War invalid. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against two, and disciplinary proceedings against three policemen, Penic said. (hina) ha jn 231148 MET sep 98