CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES CONTACT GROUP REPS

ZAGREB, Sept 12 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Friday received representatives of the big-power Contact Group, the European Commission and the EU Troika accredited in Zagreb, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Granic informed them about Thursday's negotiations organised by Croatian President Franjo Tudjman regarding a decision by the main Bosnian Croat party, the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), not to take part in local elections this weekend. The negotiations involved international High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina Carlos Westendorp, his deputy Jacques Klein, OSCE mission chief Robert Frowick and a delegation of Bosnian Croats. After an agreement acceptable to both Croat and Moslem sides was reached, Bosnian Croat political leaders decided to participate in the elections because all of their justified objections had been accepted. Granic once again stressed the justification of Bosnian Croat demands which were prompted by irregularities observed in the preparation of elections, noting that it was an autonomous and unanimous decision of the Bosnian HDZ leadership. The acceptance of Bosnian Croats' objections by the OSCE mission chief confirmed their justification, Granic emphasised. The Croats are numerically the smallest of Bosnia-Herzegovina's three constituent nations, and almost 50 per cent of Croats, about 400,000 people, left during aggression on Bosnia-Herzegovina, Granic said. For that reason any irregularity in the electoral procedure would have a very negative effect on the survival of Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina, particularly in central Bosnia, as well as on the overall peace process, he added. President Tudjman and the Croatian negotiators made great efforts to ensure that a final agreement was reached, after which Tudjman called on Bosnian Croats to go to the polls, Granic said, adding that some technical details of the implementation of the agreement were being worked out. On behalf of the Contact Group member states and the EU Troika, US Ambassador Peter Galbraith congratulated Tudjman and the Croatian negotiators on the agreement reached. The Contact Group countries include the United States, Russia, France, Britain and Germany. (hina) vm mm 121814 MET sep 97