CROATIA & BH FEDERATION INITIAL AGREEMENT ON SPECIAL RELATIONS

ZAGREB, Oct 27 (Hina) - Croatia and the Croat-Muslim Federation, one of Bosnia-Herzegovina's (BH) two entities, on Tuesday initialled an agreement on special relations. The agreement was initialled by the heads of the two delegations, Croatia's Foreign Minister Mate Granic and Kasim Trnka, advisor to the chairman of BH's collective Presidency, and members of the delegations, Croatia's Ivic Pasalic, Federation representative Vladimir Soljic, Jacques Klein of the Office of the high international representative for BH, and United States mediator Richard Sklar. The text of the agreement will be issued on Wednesday. "This is definitely the most important agreement regulating Croatia's relations with the Federation after the Washington (peace agreements)," said Granic. He added the special relations agreement was expected to be signed early next month simultaneously with an agreement on Ploce and Neum, ports in the southern Adriatic. Klein said the special relations agreement was just, comprehensive and completely compliant with the demands of both sides. The main objective of the negotiating delegations was stability in BH and the safety of the Croat population in the Federation, he stressed. Both parties emphasised the special relations agreement was the framework for future annexes regulating all issues of cooperation between Croatia and the Federation. Granic explained the annexes would regulate all fields of cooperation, "from health, economic cooperation, scientific and technical cooperation, including military cooperation." BH's Trnka expressed hope that the spirit of cooperation, which was evident during yesterday's and today's negotiations between the delegations and within the Federation's delegation, "will come to the fore in the upcoming preparation of annexes." According to Granic, the deadline for completing the annexes is July 1999. Klein said work on drafting the annexes would commence at once. Thanking Klein and Sklar for their contribution in drafting the special relations agreement, Croatia's Foreign Minister said he was sure the document "will positively affect relations within the Federation and the overall stability of the Federation and the state of BH." "The agreement has established the legal framework for cooperation between Croatia and BH, without touching into the competence of BH institutions," said Trnka. The Croatian President's advisor for interior affairs Pasalic pointed out to the significance of the special relations agreement for Croatia and the Federation, and especially for Croats in BH. "I believe Croats in BH will see in the agreement a chance to live as equal citizens of BH, especially in the Federation of BH, which will contribute to making them stay and return," said Pasalic. Klein emphasised the agreement was the foundation for building strong, continuous and stable relations between Croatia and the Federation. The Croatian negotiating delegation also included another advisor to the Croatian President, Neven Madey, Ambassador to BH Darinko Bago, and Assistant Foreign Minister Josko Paro. The Federation of BH delegation also included BH Ambassador to Croatia Hasan Muratovic, Sead Hodzic, and Dragan Covic. (hina) ha