WESTENDORP APPLAUDS SPECIAL RELATIONS AGREEMENT

ZAGREB, Nov 22 (Hina) - High International Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Carlos Westendorp, on Sunday applauded the signing of the Agreement on Special Relations between Croatia and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and called on Croatia to envisage an amendment to its Constitution recognising the minority status of its Moslem citizens. "The Agreement on Special Relations Between the Republic of Croatia and the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina signed today signals an extremely constructive step towards establishing a much closer relationship between the two Parties," Westendorp said in the letter presented to Croatian President Franjo Tudjman by Westendorp's Deputy, Jacques Paul Klein. Recalling that the Agreement formally recognises the support and assistance to the Croat people in the Bosnian Federation by Croatia, Westendorp said: "Simultaneously, the Moslem people in the Republic of Croatia have similar needs for support and assistance by the Bosniak people in Bosnia-Herzegovina. We trust that this type of cooperation is equally embodies within this Agreement". "In this spirit, we urge the Republic of Croatia to envisage an amendment to its Constitution expressly mentioning, as it did previously, its Moslem citizens, which constitute the second largest minority within the Republic of Croatia. Additionally, we also urge the Republic of Croatia to give constitutional minority status to those Moslems who declare themselves as Bosniaks," Westendorp said in the letter. (hina) lml