CROATIA EXPECTS BOSNIA TO TAKE STAND ON CROATIA'S DRAFT AGREEMENT ( Editorial: --> 0840 )

( Editorial: --> 0840 ) ZAGREB, Nov 14 (Hina) - The Croatian state leadership expects Bosnia-Herzegovina's and Bosnian Federation's authority institutions to officially express their views on Croatia's Draft Agreement on Special Relations between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation, the Croatian government's Communication's Office head, Neven Jurica, told a news conference in Zagreb on Friday. Pointing out that the solution to the crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina had to be found within the framework of the Washington and Dayton peace agreements, Jurica stressed that Croatia had agreed to these agreements because they envisaged the creation of special relations which also enabled an effective protection of interests of the Croat people in the region. Jurica described the recent establishment of railway traffic between Croatia and Yugoslavia as a successful result of the policy of normalisation of relations between Croatia and Yugoslavia. The failure to invite Croatia to a meeting of heads of states and governments of Balkan countries which took place in Crete is in a way an act of recognition of Croatia's true geographic and political position outside the Balkan or south-eastern European region with which Croatia only shares a border, Jurica said. Croatia, as a part of the central European region, was primarily interested in processes in central Europe, he said. Reporters asked Jurica to comment on US Ambassador Peter Galbraith's assessment in an interview to "Tjednik" weekly of 14 November that the Croatian proposal for special relations could lead to the creation of a new Yugoslavia, which Washington did not want. Stressing that he had not read the interview thoroughly, Jurica said the Croatian proposal could in no case lead to connection with other countries, or the creation of any form of associations. He recalled the proposal of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman to amend the Constitution by adding a ban against tying Croatia with Yugoslav or Balkan states. (hina) lm jn 141647 MET nov 97