NOBILO COMMENTS ON WASHINGTON AGREEMENT

ZAGREB, March 3 (Hina) - Croatian Ambassador to the United Nations Mario Nobilo commented on a preliminary agreement signed between Bosnian Croats and Moslems on establishing a federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina and a confederation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia, in an interview on Croatian television last night. Nobilo said the Croatian delegation informed UN Secretary- General Boutros Boutros-Ghali about results of the negotiations and handed him a copy of the agreement. He said that the negotiations at this point focused only on arrangement of the federation of Bosniacs and Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which in principle remained opened to the Serb side, and the confederation with Croatia. "The agreement envisages relations between Croatia and the federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina on a Benelux model, where sovereign countries have organic ties, but it is not one country, and confederate and cantonal elements guarantee the Croats the preservation of their fundamental vital and political interests," Nobilo said. Speaking of the reintegration of the Croatian territories first occupied by the former Yugoslav People's Army and then handed over to Serb rebel forces, Nobilo said Croatia had been given firm assurances from top US officials that the matter had been taken into consideration. He said the United States would take certain initiatives in the Council of Europe and elsewhere and step up the process on the basis of existing UN resolutions. 031216 MET mar 94