CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES U.S. AMBASSADOR TO UN

BRIJUNI, July 19 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Saturday evening received on the Brijuni Islands, northern Adriatic, the United States Ambassador to the UN, Bill Richardson, who is visiting Croatia. After the talks, Richardson and Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic spoke to reporters. Richardson assessed his talks with the Croatian President as "very productive". According to the U.S. Ambassador to the UN, President Tudjman said that Croatia, considering that the process of peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube region would be completed in six months, accepts the return of all Croatian Serbs who want to return and who accept the rights, responsibilities and legal obligations of Croatian citizenship. Richardson reiterated Tudjman's promise that he would use all his influence to ensure that all accused persons from the Bosnian Croat- controlled territory be brought to The Hague war crimes tribunal, but in this, President Tudjman appealed for an unbiased and objective approach on the tribunal's part. Croatia's President also promised, Richardson added, that he would act in order to strengthen the Bosnian Federation. Tudjman expected a meeting with Alija Izetbegovic, the chairman of the BH Presidency, to take place as soon as possible, Richardson said. The U.S. Government welcomes the commitments made by President Tudjman, Richardson concluded, adding that the United States strongly supports The Hague tribunal, and trusts its impartiality. According to Croatian Foreign Minister Granic, President Tudjman had a substantial, open and successful meeting with Ambassador Richardson. The talks focused on Croatia's relations with the U.S., the reintegration of the Croatian Danube region, the peace process in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and cooperation with The Hague tribunal. "I would especially like to stress the satisfaction with the successful process of the reintegration of the Croatian Danube region, which is the assessment made by both sides. President Tudjman said that Croatia does not put into question the return of all refugees, including the return of Serbs, those who want to return and who accept Croatia as their country, (who accept) Croatian laws and the Croatian citizenship", Granic said. Croatia strongly supports the peace process in BH and the strengthening of the BH Federation, he stressed. A meeting between Tudjman and Izetbegovic, and preparations for this meeting, were also discussed at today's meeting, said the Foreign Minister. Speaking about The Hague war crimes tribunal, Granic said that "Croatia supports the work of The Hague tribunal and cooperation with The Hague tribunal". "A group of Croats from BH forwarded a letter to The Hague tribunal, expressing readiness to come to The Hague, if a quick and just trial be ensured", Granic said. "President Tudjman gave the special information that 16,000 Serbs have already returned to Croatia - some from the Croatian Danube region, some from Serbia, and that almost 1,700 Serbs have returned in the past seven weeks, whereas only about a 100 Croats have returned to the Croatian Danube region lately", said Croatia's Foreign Minister. Granic expressed hope in a successful completion of the peaceful reintegration process and the termination of the reintegration by 15 January 1998. On the basis of this, it has been concluded that the process is making good progress and will end on time, he added. Present at today's talks were also U.S. Ambassador to Croatia Peter Galbraith, Croatian Assistant Foreign Minister Neven Madej, and the head of the Croatian President's cabinet, Gordan Radin. (hina) ha 192237 MET jul 97