CROATIAN PRESIDENT TUDJMAN PRESS CONFERENCE (1)

ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Hina) - Asked if there was a threat of clashes with Knin Serbs after UNPROFOR's exit, President Tudjman said Croatia would continue seeking a peaceful solution not only after UNPROFOR had left but also during its departure. "We firmly believe that UNPROFOR's departure will not lead to the re-eruption of war," Tudjman said, adding that he could not rule out the possibility of incidents occurring. Asked if Croatia was prepared for UNPROFOR's departure from the zone of separation with rebel Serb forces, Tudjman said "it's understandable that we haven't made this decision in haste but that we have carefully examined how we shall proceed as the situation demands." Asked if Croatia had brought itself into a diplomatic stalemate by cancelling the UNPROFOR mandate, Tudjman said it hadn't, but that it wanted to solve as soon as possible the problem of its occupied areas in the spirit of the relevant U.N. Security Council and General Assembly resolutions. Croatia had displayed ample readiness in reconciling its moves with the international community. "We could no longer tolerate the occupation of Croatian territories," Tudjman stressed. "We judge that the resumption of war is not in Serbia's interest...likewise, the efforts of international community are directed at making the warring parties see that a peaceful settlement is necessary," he said, adding that the Russian Government had said repeatedly that it recognised the territorial integrity of Croatia, calling on Croatian Serbs to solve their problem within Croatia's borders. "Knin Serbs cannot expect any support from the international community. Belgrade is keen to end the crisis and hopes that by participating in the peace process it will end the position of being internationally isolated, which is where Serbia found itself for its aggression and support of the occupation of Croatian territories and for being an accessory to the aggression in Bosnia." Asked why he was conducting political negotiations with terroritsts and the rebel leaders of a Serb phantom state within Croatia, Tudjman said that throughout history, beligerent parties negotiated to end their conflicts. "In this case we are negotiating to achieve a peaceful solution because this is also what the entire international community wants," Tudjman said. "But in those political negotiations we won't yield to any sort of demands and least of all to terrorist demands. "On the contrary we will consistently abide by international conventions, the Croatian Constitution and the Constitutional Law in an effort to solve all issues on the agenda." Asked if Croatia would take any steps, and if so, which, regarding the Croatian Serb offensive on the northwestern Bosnian Moslem-held enclave of Bihac, Tudjman said there was no fear of the Serbs taking over the area because the Bosnian Army and the Croat Defence Council (HVO) had so far put up a stiff and successful resistence. "But in any case," Tudjman emphasised, "it indicates to the international public that Serb forces from occupied Croatian areas are still being used in the offensive and in Bosnia, which again proves the need for the problem to be solved." (hina) jn sd vm 101704 MET feb 95