CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER VISITS VATICAN

ROME, 27 June (Hina) - The new archbishops of Zagreb, Pozega and Varazdin would most probably be appointed before this year's summer holidays, the Holy See state secretary Cardinal Angelo Sodano told the Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic during their meeting in the Vatican on Friday. Today's talks between Croatia and the Vatican are the continuation of a standing exchange of opinions concerning bilateral relations and peace and stability in the area of South-East Europe between Croatia and the Holy See. The Vatican is especially interested in the upcoming meeting between the Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and the President of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegovic. Sodano stressed the importance of the signing of agreements between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, which, he said, are an incentive in the signing of agreements with other states which had freed themselves from the Communist regime. Sodano and Granic also discussed the situation in the U.N.- administered areas of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem, stressing that all refugees who want to return to their homes should be allowed to return. Some 15,000 Serb refugees had returned to Croatia so far, Granic said, adding that between 10,000 and 15,000 Serbs had also expressed wish to return. However, their return should be carried out in an organised manner, Granic said. After the talks, Granic met the Chancellor of the Croatian Papal Institute of St Jerome, Msgr Jure Bogdan, and handed to him a present from the Croatian President Franjo Tudjman - a statuette of Our Lady with the Infant Jesus, made by academician Kruno Bosnjak. (hina) rm jn 271449 MET jun 97