FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES SPECIAL U.S. ENVOY

ZAGREB, Oct 23 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Friday received the United States special envoy for the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement, Robert Gelbard. Granic and Gelbard held talks on Croatian-American bilateral relations, and a lasting solution to the issue of Prevlaka, Croatia's southernmost peninsula. The talks were later joined by Croatia's entire representation in a joint working group for the implementation of the peace agreement and Croatia's access to NATO's Partnership for Peace. The representatives include Ivic Pasalic, Neven Madey, Josko Paro, Vladimir Drobnjak and Darinko. Talks tackled the implementation of the peace agreement, and Croatia's access to Partnership for Peace. It was agreed for the joint groups to continue working. Granic informed the U.S. delegation that an invitation had been forwarded to the Croat-Muslim Federation, one of Bosnia's two entities, that next week negotiations would resume on special relations between Croatia and the Federation. The Foreign Minister announced an agreement on the matter was expected to be signed, alongside the already initialled agreement on Bosnia's use of the southern Croatian port of Ploce and Croatia's free passage through Bosnia's access to the Adriatic Sea, Neum. (hina) ha