PROGRESS MADE IN IMPLEMENTATION OF DAYTON DEAL - TUDJMAN, IZETBEGOVIC

IZETBEGOVIC $ SPLIT, Aug 6 (Hina) - Following their meeting in Split on Wednesday, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Bosnia- Herzegovina's Presidency Chairman Alija Izetbegovic held a news conference where they expressed their opinions that implementation of the Dayton accords had achieved significant results particularly in the recent time. After journalists asked both Tudjman and Izetbegovic whether the implementation of the Dayton agreement encountered either a lack of will or impotence, Tudjman said that since the signing of the Washington and Dayton agreements 'important steps forward have been made" and explained that the Bosnian crisis was one of most complicated in the world. The Split meeting of the two delegations " should be an incentive to more successful resolution of all open questions" in the sense of realisation of the agreements and not only establishment of permanent cooperation between Croatia and (Croat-Moslem) Bosnian Federation but also of the consolidation of peace in this part of Europe on the basis of a new international order, the Croatian President said. "I believe that we and other signatories of the Dayton agreement have a little overestimated possibilities of fulfilment of some issues such as the return of refugees, the punishment of war criminals, freedom of movement and so on," Izetbegovic responded to the question. The Bosnian Presidency Chairman stressed that "positive trends have been registered recently in this sense". Confirming his statement Izetbegovic said that about a hundred thousand refugees had returned to Bosnia-Herzegovina and that a wave of refugees had been coming back lately to central Bosnia. "I am convinced that war criminals, regardless of their ethnic origins, will be brought to justice," Izetbegovic said commenting on this provision of the Dayton deal. Asked what was about the return of refugees to the Bosnian Federation, for instance to Jajce, Tudjman replied that was not only the matter of Jajce but also of Vares, Travnik etc. It was a very complex question which should be solved, as it was said in the joint statement, in accordance to (principles of ) free will and organisation, in order to avoid new upheaval and conflict, Tudjman added. Asked why U.S. diplomats Robert Gelbard and Richard Holbrooke did not participate in the Split talks although they were present, Croatian President said that the Split meeting was scheduled in advance by the two sides. He added that presence of EU and U.S. representatives was of great importance. This meeting showed that it was very important that Bosnian peoples' representatives should realise that they are ready and able to solve problems by themselves and in cooperation with international representatives, the Croatian President told the conference. "We alone have managed to agree on some issues," Izetbegovic said and added it remained to be seen whether the assistance of the international community would be necessary to implement conclusions. "Perhaps it would not (be necessary). This would be a good sign. But if necessary, they will be called to help implement what has bee agreed," Izetbegovic added. Journalists asked what Croatia would do in order that current financial sanctions, such as postponement of the World Bank's loan, be lifted. "There are no sanctions against Croatia," Tudjman responded. "Croatia has enough influence in international financial circumstances and neither I nor the Croatian government are concerned over such sanctions" he stressed. Following the Split meeting and joint statement, delegations of Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Bosnian Federation met Robert Gelbard, a special envoy of the U.S. President Bill Clinton, and Richard Holbrooke, a creator of the Dayton deal and a former envoy in charge of the agreement's implementation. (hina) jn mš 061807 MET aug 97