BORDERS COMMITEE CHAIRMAN DENIES TALKS ON PREVLAKA

ZAGREB, Aug 8 (Hina) - Chairman of the State Commission for Borders Hrvoje Kacic, today denied that Croatia was involved in negotiations with Montenegro on the peninsula of Prevlaka, southern Croatia. He was responding to a statement by Montenegrin President Momir Bulatovic, who said that ownership of the peninsula was the subject of talks between Croatia and Montenegro and that the odds favoured Montenegro. "Yugoslavia's diplomatic recognition of Croatia is a condition for the normalisation of relations with our eastern neighbours," Kacic said. He dismissed Bulatovic's statement as "a groundless political stunt ... aimed at point scoring in Montenegro's political squabbles." Croatia's interest in Prevlaka was not primarily a strategic one but was tied to the principle of territorial integrity of Croatia within its internationally recognised borders, he said. "Croatia does not intend to use Prevlaka for aggressive actions or conquering our neighbours' territory," Kacic said. Another important reason for Croatia not to give up Prevlaka was its 250 kms of territorial waters. (hina) jas as sd 081815 MET aug 94