CROATIA AND YUGOSLAVIA PREPARE AGREEMENT ON BORDER CROSSINGS

BELGRADE, 15 Nov (Hina) - The Croatian and Yugoslav interior ministers, Ivan Jarnjak and Vukasin Jokanovic respectively, agreed during today's meeting in Belgrade to sign several cooperation agreements in mid December. This is the first meeting of high interior ministry officials of the two states after the signing of the Agreement on the Normalization of Relations between Croatia and Yugoslavia. Croatia's Jarnjak said that the talks had focused on the overall security situation and individual forms of crime which occurred at the only Croatian-Yugoslav border crossing of Bajakovo. Jarnjak added that they had also discussed the Balkan drug routes, in the prevention of which the two ministries were involved. The two officials agreed that working groups should as of next week start their joint activities in fighting international criminal as well as joint activities at border crossings. Agreements on those issues should be signed in Zagreb on 15 December. Jarnjak thanked Jokanovic for accepting a request by the Association for Imprisoned and Missing Persons for the Yugoslav Interior Ministry to help find out the truth about missing and imprisoned persons. The Yugoslav Interior Minister said it had been stressed at today's meeting that the Croatian and Yugoslav interior ministries should cooperate in fighting international crime and terrorism. The aim of both countries is to enable their citizens to travel without visas, but it is still too early to talks about it. That will depend on the development of relations between Croatia and Yugoslavia, Jokanovic said. (hina) rm jn 151539 MET nov 96