CONCEPT OF CONFEDERATION OPPOSES DAYTON AGREEMENT

SARAJEVO, 21 Oct (Hina) - Attempts to revive the concept on a confederation of the Republic of Croatia and the Federation would jeopardize the Dayton agreement, said the Vice President of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Ejup Ganic, in Sarajevo, Tuesday. Such an initiative would destabilize the Dayton agreement and negate some of its main postulates, Ganic told the press conference. He dismissed the possibility for the Federation to sign inter-state agreements as one of the two entities, since such powers belong only to Bosnia-Herzegovina as a state. However, Ganic allowed the possibility of cooperation between individual regions from the two countries, in line with the already existing practice in Europe. Ganic held the conference after his return from Vienna, where he participated in the work of the Arbitration Commission for Brcko. According to Ganic, multiethnic authority structure, including mixed police forces, should be established in Brcko by the end of the year. After that, the two sides would have to submit a detailed report to the chief arbitrator Roberts Owen on the commitments they have met. The final hearing of representatives of the two entities before the adoption of the final decision on the status of Brcko would start in February next year and it should be completed by the end of that month, Ganic said. The final decision on whether Brcko would be in the Federation or in the Serb entity should be made known in March 1998. (hina) mm rm 211928 MET oct 97