PRESIDENT TUDJMAN'S ADDRESS TO NATION

ZAGREB, March 3 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman addressed the nation on TV on Thursday evening. Following is the full text of President Tudjman's speech: "Dear fellow Croats in the homeland and abroad, dear citizens of Croatia! On March 1st the representatives of the Croat and Bosnian- Moslem peoples signed in Washington a Preliminary Agreement on the federal arrangement of Bosnia and Herzegovina as a community of constituent sovereign nations i.e. on the Federal Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and its Confederation with the Republic of Croatia. In terms of its contents, and of the circumstances in which it has been drawn up, this Agreement has a far-reaching and even crucial historical meaning. This Agreement has been reached under the auspices of the United States of America and with the accord of the major European states. Therefore, the Agreement implies primarily a radical change in their relationship toward the resolution of the crisis in the former Yugoslavia. The major international factors - led by the United States - have finally come to the conclusion that determined steps must be taken in order to put an end to the three-year crisis started by the aggression of the Yugo-communist army and Serbia against Slovenia, Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and to end the war in Bosnia which has caused one of the greatest tragedies of our time and posed the threat of even global expansion of the disaster of war. These have been the reasons why the state policy of democratic Croatia has been and will be focused on achieving and protecting its fundamental national interests in line with international circumstances. Croatia's principled and consistent policy along such lines has gradually and at an ever increasing rate won it the favour even of those who were not inclined to support its sovereignty and independent policy, to the point where it has now, at last, also obtained full guarantees of the most responsible global factors concerning the security of the Croatian State and the future of the Croatian nation. Croatia has increasingly won the trust of the global democratic public and responsible statesmen through its actions, from the recommendation to the Croatian people to take part in the referendum for the preservation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the immediate establishment of diplomatic relations with the Government in Sarajevo; from the initiative and acceptance of the proposal for the resolution of the crisis in Bosnia and Herzegovina based on a cantonal, and subsequently provincial and finally confederal arrangement (as a Union of Republics), all rejected by the Serbian or Muslim sides, to the present signing of the Washington Agreement. The realisation of this Agreement - signed in Washington by Vice Premier and Foreign Minister of the Republic of Croatia Dr. Mate Granic, the Prime Minister of Bosnia and Herzegovina Mr. Haris Silajdzic and the President of the Presidential Council of the Croatian Republic of Herceg Bosna Mr. Kresimir Zubak - serves alike the interests of the Croatian nation, the Bosnian-Moslem people and the international community. The end of the military confrontation of the Moslem and Croatian peoples in Bosnia is of primary importance for us. This confrontation has caused tremendous loss of human life and property to the Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and exposed Croatia to the threat of international sanctions because of the assistance which it has offered them, first in their defence from Serbian aggression, and subsequently from the danger posed by extremist Moslem forces. The Croato-Moslem Agreement also stipulates a solution and delimitation with the Serbian side, one that would be acceptable to all three peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina. However, international factors should also persevere in their quest for a reasonable delimitation as a whole in order to create the conditions for normal neighbourly relations between this new Croato-Bosnian Confederal alliance on the one hand, and Serbia/Yugoslavia on the other, because this lays down, in the long run, a new line of separation between international forces that have for centuries interwoven, opposing one another along this divide between different civilisations. In the interest of European and global peace, all national- political subjects that have in any way taken part in the resolution of the extremely complex Bosnian problem should do their utmost in order to achieve agreement of the three confronted peoples and their parent countries, but also of the major world factors - the United Nations, the European Union, the United States and the Russian Federation - in order to create conditions for the stability of the new international order in this part of Europe, just because of the fact that its birth has given rise to unimaginable war atrocities and threats of a conflict between civilisations. The realisation of the Washington Agreement will ensure the existence and the future of the Croatian nation not only within the borders of the Croatian Republic of Herceg Bosna, established during the defensive war, but also throughout the Bosnian territory which will not be allotted to the detached Serbian republic. Moreover, with this Agreement the Croats are guaranteed full national sovereignty in the Croatian cantons - which will probably bear the Croatian name of "velezupe" - which form the Croatian Council as a separate representative body of the Croatian community; it also guarantees full parity and equality in all state affairs of the Federal Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. An additional guarantee will be provided by the recognition of the right to dual citizenship, i.e. Croatian citizenship included, to all members of the Croatian people, as well as by the establishment of the confederal alliance between the Republic of Croatia and the Federal Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The confederal alliance will be based on common interests in the promotion of comprehensive relations in all spheres, particularly in foreign and defence policies, economy, science and culture. The establishment of a joint defence force command, and of a customs and monetary union within a common market, are also being envisaged. A permanent Confederative Council will be established for the coordination of common policies and activities. The realisation of the foreseen Federation between the Croatian and Bosnian-Moslem peoples in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and of its Confederation with the Republic of Croatia, assumes the provision of the required political and constitutional-juridical foundations. The Croats should realise that such a solution is historically necessary and purposeful in order to maintain Croatian presence in Bosnia, and in order to protect the strategic interests of the Croatian State. An alliance with the Croats guarantees to the Bosnian Moslems existence in the area under consideration as well as association with Western civilisation and the democracies. The effective implementation of the Agreement, and the two alliances, which are of vital interest for both peoples but also for the democratic Western world, can be opposed only by those who uphold narrow-minded nationalist and extremist fundamentalist views. Unlike such exceptions, the vast majority of Croats and Bosnians, and not only the Moslems who have thus far declared themselves Croats, will wholeheartedly apply themselves to the building of their common future. In connection with the foregoing, I deem it necessary to emphasise in particular that the Croato-Moslem alliance is not directed against the Serbs, nor is it intended to prolong the war, but focused on the immediate achievement of peace. Croatia will consistently follow its policy of a peaceful political settlement of all controversial issues,including the normalisation of Croato-Serbian relations, based on the mutual recognition of sovereignty and territorial integrity. If this is to be achieved, Serbia (the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) should stop supporting the continuing occupation of Croatian areas by supplying arms, introducing a common currency, etc. The Serbs from the "Krajinas" should finally come to the conclusion that it is futile to continue opposing integration into the constitutional-juridical system of Croatia, because they will no longer be permitted, from the standpoint of Croatian and international interests alike, to outmanoeuvre Security Council Resolutions. Croatian guarantees all human, civil and ethnic rights to them, but it can no longer tolerate delaying the return of its displaced persons, the integration of its state territory and the establishment of normal conditions for its future economic and cultural development. Dear Croats in the homeland and abroad, dear citizens of Croatia! With the Agreement signed in Washington we have made a big step along the arduous path towards safeguarding the future of the Croatian nation, the stability and the prosperity of the Croatian State. On our part, we will do our utmost to complete it in constitutional and juridical terms, and to make it a reality. In the discussions which our Foreign Minister and I personally have had with representatives of many States, including US President Clinton on the day of the signing we have received from the most responsible statesmen and global factors assurances concerning their support in the resolution of Croatia's vital and pressing problems. We have explicitly been promised comprehensive and determined assistance in the reintegration of the United Nations Protected Areas into Croatia as soon as possible. We have been promised help in our reconstruction. We will have access to all international financial institutions in order to obtain loans and financing support for economic and investment programmes, which has thus far been denied. The doors to European integration, and to membership in the NATO defence system within the framework of "Partnership for Peace" are now open to us. This bears witness to the fact that the principal international factors now view Croatia as an important, indeed one of the key subjects in the establishment of peace and the new international order in this part of Europe. All this warrants the conclusion that we are nearing the end of the state of war, and the beginning of a new period in the development of the sovereign and democratic Croatian State. In such new circumstances, we shall be able to devote all our strength to the economic revival and cultural development of our homeland. Therefore, the Washington Preliminary Agreement creates the conditions for a political settlement of the crisis, for the cessation of destruction wrought by war, of human suffering and persecution, and people's return to normal living. In a nutshell, it heralds peace! And all this evinces the correctness and purposefulness of our consistent state policy whose supreme goal has always been to safeguard the freedom of the Croatian people and Croatia's sovereignty with the lowest possible human toll. We have strengthened the democratic order and the international position of the Croatian State guided by our own judgments, maturity and support of the vast majority of the Croatian people and of all citizens of Croatia. Let us be proud of the results achieved and of new prospects, but let us also be aware of the commitments and the difficulty of the tasks facing us in new, more favourable international circumstances as well!" 032025 MET mar 94