ROME, Feb 19 (Hina) - Croatia's and Bosnia's presidents, Franjo Tudjman and Alija Izetbegovic, along with Bosnian Federation president and vice-president, Kresimir Zubak and Ejup Ganic, discussed the current situation in the
Federation and pledged to take all the necessary steps in order to put the federal institutions to work, said a common statement issued after closing the Rome conference on Sunday.
ROME, Feb 19 (Hina) - Croatia's and Bosnia's presidents, Franjo
Tudjman and Alija Izetbegovic, along with Bosnian Federation
president and vice-president, Kresimir Zubak and Ejup Ganic,
discussed the current situation in the Federation and pledged to
take all the necessary steps in order to put the federal
institutions to work, said a common statement issued after closing
the Rome conference on Sunday. #L#
The four have welcomed recent forming of the federal and
central governments stressing the importance that neither of them
interferes into the scope of the other, the statement said. (The
central government is devised to be a roof body of both -- Serb and
Croat-Moslem -- entities inside Bosnia.)
The federal customs administration is to be completed not
later than March 1. All of the customs posts inside the Federation
would be dissolved on the same day. An international monitoring
mission would oversee and assist in the unification of the customs
system.
Presidents Tudjman and Izetbegovic expressed their support to
the delineation of the cantons, previously agreed by the Federation
president and vice-president, according which the localities of
Posusje, Grude, Ljubuski and Siroki Brijeg would either form a new
canton or stay in the West-Herzegovina canton by March 5. Western
municipalities of Glamoc, Bosansko Grahovo and Drvar would be added
to the canton.
On March 10 the federal parliament would pass a Federal
Cantons Act, defining their boundaries in detail. In case of fail,
the problem was to be passed to the federal arbitrator.
The Bosniac (Moslem) side agreed that Croat families from the
town of Bugojno be immediately allowed to return.
Concerning Mostar, it has been agreed that the central zone,
suggested by European Union's administrator Hans Koschnick, would
be reduced to administrative buildings assigned to the ministries,
canton and city authorities.
Following measures were also agreed.
1. On February 20 at 12 o'clock noon starts the deployment of
a united police force under authority of European Union's
administrator. In order to speed up the process of unification, the
administrator would have at his disposal additional 100 policemen
from Croatia and another 100 from Bosnia-Herzegovina, outside
Mostar;
2. On February 20 at 12 o'clock noon full freedom of movement
for all would be established;
3. Refugees and displaced persons would be allowed to return
to all the town's neighborhoods. Concerning the central zone, their
return would be organized in line with the following criteria:
a) major part of the zone would be reserved, with European
Union's financial backing, for public use and cultural activities,
b) only a limited part of the zone would be allowed for
permanent dwelling,
c) only those who had permanent residence in the zone,
according to the 1991 census, would be allowed to return,
d) the process of return to the vacated houses and flats would
start a month after the decree on City of Mostar's Transitional
Statute takes effect,
e) other proprietors would be allowed to return only after a
suitable accommodation is found for the refugees currently living
in the zone.
The two sides required that the European Union to extend its
Mostar Administration's mandate for another six months.
Concerning the parts of Sarajevo, due to be reverted to the
Federation, it was agreed in Rome that they would be jointly
governed by Federation and local Serbs.
As of March 19, when five currently Serb-controlled Sarajevo
suburbs are to be reverted, and until the election in all of
Bosnia-Herzegovina (not later than next September), the federal
authorities will act in the area jointly with the Serb
representatives who had been elected in the 1990 election in the
area.
If a municipality head official was a Federation's one, the
post of a head of municipal council would go to a Serb councillor
elected in 1990, the statement said. The two would decide on all
legal, civic and issues related to national rights of the local
population.
The authority transfer in the five suburbs would by completed
by March 19. The plan on establishment of the federal police force
would be completed and implemented by the time. The force should
approximately mirror the ethnic structure of the local population
according to the 1991 census.
The police force would be actively supervised by the
International Police Task Force (IPTF).
Sarajevo would be a united city with equal treatment for
Bosniacs, Croats, Serbs and others. The Serbs would be enabled to
take part in ruling the city. They would also be enabled to take
part in local self-government on a municipal level, in line with
the Constitution of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina.
(Hina) mm bk
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