U.S. ENVOY GELBARD HOLDS TALKS WITH PRESIDENT TUDJMAN

ZAGREB, Dec 10 (Hina) - A United States Presidential envoy on Thursday said during talks with Croatian President Franjo Tudjman the U.S. and Croatia agreed that territorial demarcation issues between Croatia and Bosnia, like Martin Brod, must be resolved by agreement, through the Mixed Commission for Borders. Special envoy Robert Gelbard said he had discussed the issue of Martin Brod, a border town some 150km south of Croatian capital Zagreb, with Foreign Minister Mate Granic and President Tudjman. They agreed the issue can and has to be resolved through the mixed borders commission. Gelbard's talks with Tudjman tackled the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement ahead of a meeting of the Peace Implementation Council in Madrid on December 15 and 16. Tudjman's chief-of-staff Ivica Kostovic said after today's talks the U.S. and Croatia agreed with regard to the importance of consistent implementation of the peace agreement. "For Croatia it is of vital interest that the (recently signed) Special Relations Agreement (between Croatia and) the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina be implemented within the implementation of Dayton," said Kostovic. Gelbard welcomed the beginning of the Croatian Serbs' return from the Bosnian Serb republic to Croatia, assessing it was an issue of utmost importance which will also facilitate the return of Croats to the Bosnian Serb republic. Regretting the series of incidents which had occurred in the Martin Brod area in the last months, especially the Croat police's apprehension of an International Police Task Force patrol three months ago, Gelbard warned that operation represented a violation of international law. (hina) ha mm