GARROD'S OFFICE ISSUES STATEMENT

MOSTAR, Mar 15 (Hina/Habena) - The Regional Office South of High Representative Martin Garrod on Saturday issued a statement saying that Garrod and the head of the Mostar Centre of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Edward Joseph, had been invited to the opening of an Aluminium Plant in Mostar, Bosnian Croat news agency Habena said. The statement said that both Garrod and Joseph left the opening on account of the speech of the plant's managing director Mijo Brajkovic, in which Brajkovic "offended the European Union, and in particular former EU administrator Hans Koschnick, in the presence of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, Bosnian Federation President Kresimir Zubak, Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa, Croatian Defense Minister Gojko Susak, Mostar Mayor Ivan Prskalo and many other highest Croatian officials", the statement from Garrod's office said, as reported by Habena. (hina) ha 151644 MET mar 97