WASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman met the US President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore in Washington on Friday. They discussed bilateral relations and problems in the functioning of the Croat-Moslem
Federation.
WASHINGTON, Aug 2 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman met
the US President Bill Clinton and Vice-President Al Gore in
Washington on Friday. They discussed bilateral relations and
problems in the functioning of the Croat-Moslem Federation. #L#
"It is of great importance for the Croatian public that
President Clinton and Vice-President Gore have absolutely supported
Croatia's demand to be included among central-European countries,
not among members of the Balkan association," President Tudjman
told reporters after the talks.
Tudjman was accompanied by Foreign Minister Mate Granic,
Defence Minister Gojko Susak and Ambassador Miomir Zuzul.
"The talks with President Clinton, Vice-President Gore and
their associates lasted more than an hour and a half," Tudjman
said.
"We discussed everything - from bilateral issues to the
resolution of problems in the Croat-Moslem Federation, including
the Mostar election," he said.
The talks confirmed both sides' readiness to strengthen
relations in all areas, including trade, he said.
"In all, it was a very important and useful meeting," Tudjman
concluded.
US media on Friday morning announced that President Clinton
would remind the Croatian President of his commitment to the
Federation project and demand that he ensure that Bosnian Croats
accept the Mostar election results.
Responding to these comments, US State Department spokesman
Nicholas Burns said on Thursday that the fact that the Washington
meeting only included the Croatian President did not mean that the
US considered Tudjman as the main problem.
"This is not a crisis meeting," The Washington Times quoted
Burns as saying.
"It had been planned for a long time," he said.
Asked whether the US side had asked him any awkward questions
at the meeting, President Tudjman said that "both President Clinton
and Vice-President Gore emphasised the positive, constructive and
even crucial role of Croatia and its president in the resolution of
the crisis and the future of peace."
(hina) as
021845 MET aug 96