U.S. AMBASSADOR KAUZLARICH VISITS MOSTAR

MOSTAR, Sept 6 (Hina) - U.S. Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Richard Kauzlarich, on Saturday held separate meetings with Moslem (Bosniak) and Croat officials of the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton, and afterwards held talks with senior officials the cantonal interior ministry in the building of the + joint police headquarters in Mostar. Following his talks with Croat officials - the cantonal deputy head, Pero Markovic, the cantonal premier, Mijo Brajkovic, and the assembly's chairman, Ivan Bender - the American ambassador said that they had discussed disputable amendments on Mostar that should be adopted to the cantonal constitution and the conduct of local elections in this southern city. It was very important to pass the Mostar amendments and to hold elections in the city next week, Kauzlarich said. He added that the United States supported the building of Mostar as a community of different peoples. Markovic said that they had notified the U.S. Ambassador of disputable events in the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton. He said that Croat officials had finally got the opportunity to clarify developments in the cantonal assembly. He reiterated that certain provisions of the Mostar amendments were in contrary to the Dayton peace accords. If we did not adhere to the Dayton agreement, we would again enter a cul-de-sac in Mostar and the Herzegovina-Neretva canton, the Bosnian Croat official warned. (hina) mš 061802 MET sep 97