PRESIDENT TUDJMAN RECEIVES FRENCH JOURNALISTS

ZAGREB, March 8 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Tuesday received a group of French journalists, led by the Chairman of the Society of the European Cultural Community, Ambassador Gilles Martinet. The talks focused on various topics, ranging from the future confederation of Bosnia and Croatia and the possibility of including the Serbian side in the negotiations on the Bosnian federation, to the reintegration of Croatian territory under UN protection. President Tudjman said it was hard to imagine that the Bosnian Serbs could get away with all the territory they had captured. He said the Vienna talks were well under way and that the signing of a final agreement should be expected on March 17 in Washington. Asked what guarantees for the reintegration of the UNPAs Croatia had been given, President Tudjman said he had received full support from US President Clinton, Secretary of State Christopher, Vice-President Gore, as well as representatives of France and other countries. He noted that during the Geneva talks, the Russian representative had urged Milosevic to recognise Croatia. With such international backing and the linking of the Yugoslavia sanctions with the reintegration of the UNPAs, we are confident to return these territories in a peaceful way, said President Tudjman. Speaking of Western criticism of Croatian democracy, Tudjman reminded French reporters that the democracy in Croatia developed amidst the break-up of former Yugoslavia, the aggression against Croatia and Serb rebellion. Ambassador Martinet said the French journalists arrived in Croatia burdened with feelings of bitterness, aware that the international community and especially the European Union did not do their utmost to put an end to the conflict. We came to get to know the situation better and to tell others about it, he said. 081742 MET mar 94