TO NORMALIZE RELATIONS, CROATIA, YUGOSLAVIA INTENSIFY NEGOTIATIONS

ZAGREB, June 12 (Hina) - Croatia and Yugoslavia have intensified negotiations, in line with an agreement the foreign ministers of the two countries, Mate Granic and Milan Milutinovic, reached in Zagreb in May, and in view of implementing last year's Agreement on the Normalization of Relations Between the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. According to a statement by the Croatian Foreign Ministry, delegations of the two countries began negotiations in Belgrade on Thursday, in line with Article Seven of the Normalization Agreement. The Croatian delegation is headed by Bozo Marendic. Negotiations on several issues relating to an agreement on border crossings and local border traffic are expected to begin tomorrow, the statement said, adding that Croatian Assistant Foreign Minister Hido Biscevic will head the Croatian delegation. The results of tomorrow's negotiations, which deal with issues important for the everyday living of citizens of the two countries, will have considerable influence on the future stabilization of relations between Croatia and Yugoslavia, and will have positive influence on the successful completion of the peaceful reintegration of Croatia's Danube region, the statement by the Croatian Foreign Ministry concluded. (hina) ha 121817 MET jun 97