GALBRAITH MEETS REBEL SERB LEADER IN KNIN, BELGRADE RADIO SAYS

BELGRADE, Jan 23 (Hina) - American ambassador to Croatia, Peter Galbraith today in Knin spoke to rebel Serb leader Milan Babic on continuing the negotiating process, according to a Belgrade radio report. "Our partners, the EU and Russia believe that an important moment has arrived in the negotiating process when political talks should commence between Knin and Zagreb parallel to economic talks," according to a Knin correspondent's report to Belgrade radio. If this did not happen, Galbraith believed that a highly dangerous situation could develop with only losers, the radio report said. According to the same report, Babic said: "There was no reason to bring the UNPROFOR mandate into question." He also said that political negotiations would be easier to initiate and develop if Serb-controlled territory kept the status of UN protected areas. (hina) jn sd mms 232154 MET jan 95