TUDJMAN-CHRISTOPHER TALKS BEGIN

ZAGREB, Feb 2 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman this evening met US Secretary of State Warren Christopher, who arrived in Zagreb as the first stop on a three-day tour of former Yugoslavia states involved in the Dayton Agreement. President Tudjman and Secretary of State Christopher and their associates are currently closeted for talks at the Presidential Palace. Christopher is to travel to Sarajevo Saturday to meet the President of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegovic, Civil Affairs Commissioner Carl Bildt, and - possibly - Bosnian Serb representatives who are to come to Sarajevo. On Sunday, Christopher is scheduled to travel to Belgrade and meet President Slobodan Milosevic. All these talks will focus on the implementation of the Dayton Agreement. With President Tudjman, the US Secretary of State will also discuss the implementation of the Basic Agreement on the Croatian Danube region, according to State Department spokesman Nicholas Burns. Talks with Presidents Izetbegovic and Milosevic will also touch upon human rights, delays in some aspects of the implementation of the Dayton Agreement and the failure to enforce the provision on releasing prisoners-of-war. The US delegation includes Assistant Secretary of State Richard Holbrooke, Special Advisor to US President Robert Gallucci, Assistant Human Rights Secretary John Shattuck and the US President's Advisor on Bosnian Federation Roberts Owen. President Tudjman is accompanied by his chief-of-staff Ivo Sanader, Foreign Minister Mate Granic, Deputy Prime MInister Ivica Kostovic and Defence Minister Gojko Susak. (hina) as 022350 MET feb 96