TALKS BETWEEN CROATIAN GOVERNMENT, SERB REBELS CALLED OFF

ZAGREB, June 16 (Hina) - Talks between the Croatian government and Serb authorities from the UNPAs, which were scheduled to take place in the lake resort of Plitvice on Thursday and Friday, have been cancelled, unofficial sources close to the Croatian delegation said. Croatian chief negotiator Hrvoje Sarinic is expected to hold a press conference later in the afternoon to explain why the meeting was called off. Yesterday, Sarinic was informed by representatives of the International Conference on the former Yugoslavia, who were visiting Knin, that there were serious problems concerning the organization of the Plitvice meeting. Earlier yesterday, Sarinic told a meeting of two parliamentary committees that the Croatian delegation insisted that on a reciprocity basis Croatian reporters be allowed to cover the meeting, which the Serb side opposed. "As head of the Croatian delegation I make it a condition that our journalists be present in Plitvice or else the Croatian side will not attend the talks," Sarinic said. According to previous agreements, the Plitvice meeting was to address economic and humanitarian issues. This morning, UN officials in Zagreb still believed that the meeting would be possible to arrange for later in the day. 161517 MET jun 94