TUDJMAN RECEIVES KORNBLUM - STATEMENT

ZAGREB, April 2 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Tuesday received the United States Undersecretary of State for European and Canadian Affairs, John Kornblum, a Presidential Office statement said. The President said that the latest events showed Croatia's determination to support efforts aimed at fully implementing the Washington and Dayton peace accords. As regards the situation in the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina, the President said that the Croats were willing to implement all agreements. Kornblum informed the President that a Forum for the Federation would be established in Sarajevo on Tuesday to tackle the current problems at all levels. Kornblum reiterated that the US attached great importance to the implementation of the Dayton accords and that a successful Federation was a basis for the implementation of the peace accords. The President expressed satisfaction with the US initiative to establish the Federation Forum to help in the resolving of problems. The President stressed that now it was important to form a joint armed force of the Croats and Bosniacs (Moslems) in the Federation and ensure the efficient functioning of the Joint Council for cooperation between Croatia and the Federation and the active involvement of US companies and business people in the reconstruction of Croatia and the Federation. The Croatian officials attending the talks included Presidential Chief of Staff Ivo Sanader, Defence Minister Gojko Susak, Croatian Information Service (HIS) Director Miroslav Tudjman, Head of the President's Military Cabinet Lt. Gen. Miljenko Crnjak, Deputy Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic, Ambassador to the US Miomir Zuzul and Presidential Aide-de-Camp Major General Kresimir Kaspar. The US delegation included Ambassador to Croatia Peter Galbraith, Christopher Hill of the State Department's Office for Southern and Central Europe, Colonel Jim Keagle, Lt. Col. Bonesteel, Jim O'Brien of the Office of the US Ambassador to the UN, and State Department representative Rosemarie Pauli-Gikas, the statement concluded. (hina) vm 021711 MET apr 96