BRIJUNI, Aug 19 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Monday received a Bosnian Croat delegation headed by President of the Bosnian Federation Kresimir Zubak. After the two-hour talks, Zubak told reporters that the talks were
one in a line of regular consultative meetings between political representatives of Croats in Bosnia and Croatia which usually took place when important decisions on the status and situation of the Croat people were being made. Zubak stressed that the Croat side would fulfill all its obligations concerning strengthening of the Bosnian Federation.
BRIJUNI, Aug 19 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on
Monday received a Bosnian Croat delegation headed by President of
the Bosnian Federation Kresimir Zubak.
After the two-hour talks, Zubak told reporters that the talks
were one in a line of regular consultative meetings between
political representatives of Croats in Bosnia and Croatia which
usually took place when important decisions on the status and
situation of the Croat people were being made.
Zubak stressed that the Croat side would fulfill all its
obligations concerning strengthening of the Bosnian Federation. #L#
"You have been informed that activities of all relevant
international factors and sides in Bosnia concerning the
strengthening of the Federation have been intensified recently
because the process has to be completed before the elections on
September 14.
Relevant documents have been signed and final talks are taking
place in order to sign documents establishing deadlines,
commitments and people who are to carry out the commitments in the
transferal of functions from Bosnia and Herzeg-Bosnia to the
Federation in all sectors of life and work," Zubak stressed.
Zubak said that the Croat side could fulfill its commitments
within a certain deadline, adding that the talks were an
opportunity to discuss technical organization.
"As regards the Croat side, I believe that we will respect out
commitments in full. The bearing of the problem will be on the
partner's side and if they do not fulfill their part of the
commitments, we will probably come into a situation when the
Federation structures will not be established by the time of the
elections, despite our wishes," Zubak said.
Zubak said that the Washington and Dayton agreements guarantee
equal rights for Croats in Bosnia, as well as for Moslems and
Serbs.
He added that the last two documents which had to be signed
would ensure the Croats equal rights in the constitution of the
remainder of institutions of authority of the Federation.
President of the Bosnian Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Bozo
Rajic said that the talks also focused on preparations for the
September elections in Bosnia, the assessments of positions and
possibilities of the HDZ in Bosnia.
He announced the official opening of the pre-election campaign
with a rally in Sarajevo on Sunday and ending on September 11 in
Mostar.
Rajic expressed conviction that the HDZ would win the Croat
people's confidence and confirm itself as a political leader of the
Croat people in the complex processes of establishing peace, the
Federation, equal status of Croats in the Federation and
reintegration of Bosnia as a whole.
"The people remember very well who did what in the last six
years for their existence and equality," he added.
"Our motto from the conference in Neum remains 'Peace is Our
Choice', peace of free people, peace of people turned toward their
future, and in the elections we will surely win," Rajic said.
Croatian Defense Minister Gojko Susak said, "I can say with
pleasure that Croats will respect everything agreed in Geneva, the
Republic of Croatia retains its commitment to protect the interests
of the Croat people in Bosnia."
Croatian Presidential Chief-of-Staff Ivo Sanader stressed that
the main point of the meeting was that Croatian President Franjo
Tudjman and other Croatian authority representatives fully stood by
every agreement reached recently, including the Agreement on the
transferal of authority from Herzeg Bosnia and the Bosnian Republic
to the Bosnian Federation.
The agreement would promote the protection of Croat interests
and reach the crucial goal, equality for the Croat people in
Bosnia, Sanader said, recalling that this was HDZ's programme.
He announced a meeting of the Council for Cooperation of
Croatia, Federation and Bosnia would take place in early September,
as had been agreed in Geneva.
"I want to take this opportunity to stress that Croatian
President Franjo Tudjman and the Croatian authority are absolutely
standing by their constitutional commitments which guarantee
equality and fight for interests of the Croat people outside of
Croatia," Sanader said.
(hina) lm
191745 MET aug 96