BOSNIAN MOSLEMS DISPLEASED WITH CROATIAN CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGES

( Editorial: --> 8848 ) SARAJEVO, Dec 16 (Hina) - The office of Bosnian Presidency Chairman Alija Izetbegovic issued a statement on Tuesday evening expressing displeasure with changes to the Croatian Constitution which "excluded Bosniacs from the ranks of ethnic minorities in Croatia". The citizens of Bosnia-Herzegovina, particularly Bosniacs, received with resentment the news that Bosniacs, or Moslems, had not been mentioned among the ethnic minorities in Croatia as they had been in the 1990 Constitution. The statement expressed regrets at the Croatian Parliament's decision, describing it as unjustifiable and as "a continuation of the policy of ignoring the national identity of Bosniacs". "Such an attitude certainly will not contribute to developing good neighbourly relations between Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia or to establishing trust between the two nations, which is necessary for establishing the (Moslem-Croat) Federation and its special relations with Croatia." "We expect that the international community will also give its opinion on it," the statement concluded. (hina) vm mm 161904 MET dec 97