PRESIDENT IZETBEGOVI'S PRESS CONFERENCE IN SARAJEVO

SARAJEVO, May 14 (Hina) - President of the Presidency of Bosnia- Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegovic, held a press conference today in the Bosnian capital at which he commented on the Vienna federation agreements as well as yesterday's session of ministers from the countries whose diplomats are members of the contact group for Bosnia-Herzegovina, reported a Hina correspondent from Sarajevo on Saturday afternoon. "As the Vienna documents have been signed, now we are interested in the speedy implementation of the agreements, "said Izetbegovic adding that the forthcoming session of the Parliament of the Bosniac-Croat Federation was to ratify the documents. President Izetbegovic also said that "yesterday's arrival of Brigadier-General Ante Roso (commander of the Croatian Defence Council) in Sarajevo means the beginning of the concrete realization of the military part of the Bosniac-Croat agreement". Commenting on the Friday's statement of Geneva's ministerial session of the countries-members of the contact group for B-H President Izetbegovic said that "communiqué of the session has both positive and negative elements. The good side of the statement is that it insists on the integrity of Bosnia- Herzegovina and its preservation within the internationally recognized borders. Another good element of the statement is that the countries-members of the contact group for B-H show their readiness for a more determinate implementation of the relevant U.N. Security Council's resolutions and for continuation of offering humanitarian aid to the population of B-H as well as their readiness to contribute to the reconstruction of B-H." President Izetbegovic welcomed the resolve of the western countries and Russia to hold sanctions against the Belgrade regime. But, he was dissatisfied by the fact that the statement from yesterday's session in Geneva mentioned a union and no federation of B-H. According to Izetbegovic the division of Bosnia-Herzegovina's territory on the principle of the proportion 51 p.c. for the Bosniac-Croat Federation and 49 p.c. for Bosnian Serbs is unacceptable, since this would be the reward for the ethnic cleansing undertaken by Serbs. He added that "there are some powerful countries that are ready to support the concept of the so-called gray zones in Bosnia-Herzegovina in the disputable areas. Forces of the B-H Army and of Bosnian Serbs would withdraw from the "gray zones", whereas the security of the expelled people who are to return there would be guaranteed by the U.N. Protection Force (UNPROFOR). President Izetbegovic suggested that instead of four months proposed by the contact group for a general cease-fire while negotiations should be held two months would be sufficient for serious political negotiations. "A cease-fire would be of use for Serbs if no agreement were reached for four months, because they could freeze in this way the current state of affairs on the ground achieved by the aggression," said Izetbegovic. "We shall accept the negotiations to which the contact group is inviting, and the Parliament of the Bosniac-Croat Federation will define a platform for talks. The essential issue that should be solved by the talks is whether B-H will be preserved as a federation and how much of its territory we shall get. That percentage must go between 51 and 58 p.c. in favour of Croats and Bosniacs." He reiterated that he would be the president of the B-H Presidency by the end of the peace process. 141936 MET may 94