TUDJMAN, IZETBEGOVIC TO MEET 6 AUGUST - U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UN

SARAJEVO, July 21 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and the chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegovic, shall meet on 6 August, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Bill Richardson told reporters in Sarajevo on Monday. The decision on setting the date of the meeting is the result of the successfully established joint police in the Bosnian Herzegovina- Neretva Canton, Richardson said. This is happening today, he added, and the two presidents authorized me to make this statement. The announcement of the meeting is a positive course of events, Richardson assessed. The U.S. Ambassador also spoke about his talks with the Croatian President held over the weekend, assessing them as productive. In view of the conclusion of the peaceful reintegration of the Danube region of eastern Croatia within six months, Richardson said, President Tudjman pledged that Croatia would accept the return of all Croatian Serbs who want to return. President Tudjman promised he would use his influence in order to ensure that all war crime suspects from the Bosnian Croat-controlled territory be turned over to The Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, the U.S. Ambassador further said, pointing out that in this regard, the Croatian President appealed for the tribunal's impartiality. During his stay in the BH capital, Richardson met with Stabilization Force commander General Crouch, and officials of international organizations operating in BH. Crouch assured him that SFOR is capable of facing current challenges and almost daily incidents taking place in the Bosnian Serb entity, and that NATO shall not tolerate obstructions to its mission in BH, Ambassador Richardson said. He condemned the Serb representatives' refusal to meet him in Sarajevo, and announced a visit to Banja Luka and a meeting with Bosnian Serb entity President Biljana Plavsic. (hina) ha mm 211609 MET jul 97