CROATIAN PRESIDENT HOLDS PRESS CONFERENCE

ZAGREB, Oct 14, (Hina)- Croatian President Franjo Tudjman said it was necessary to resolve Croatia's Serb question in line with its Constitution and Constitutional laws on the the rights of ethnic groups and minorities. Croatia was unwilling to accept any solution outside its Constitutional framework, Tudjman said today at a press conference. "There can be no talk of a federation, let alone a confederation within Croatia," he stressed adding that Serbs in Croatia could have local autonomy in areas where they had the majority population before the war, ie., the districts of Knin and Glina. Tudjman said that the Serbs' policy of aggression had apparently sufferred defeat because of resolute steps taken by the international community. In this context Belgrade imposed a blockade of Bosnian Serbs which resulted in further divisions amongst Serb leaders advocating the policy of aggression, he said. Commenting on fresh demands by Bosnian Serbs for access to the Adriatic sea, Tudjman said these issues could perhaps become the subject of negotiations when the war was over and when the States that emerged from the former Yugoslavia recognised each other. Asked how the establishment of municipal and cantonal authorities in the Moslem-Croat federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina was progressing, Tudjman said it was of mutual interest that the agreement on the federation and confederation with Croatia be implemented as soon as possible. Responding to a question on Croatia-Slovenia relations, Tudjman said that unfortunately they had been strained unnecessarily, because at the time of gaining independence from the former Yugoslavia both States recognised each other's existing borders. Speaking of the recent Croatian military excercise 'Poseidon 94' Tudjman said it was not the only excercise where the Croatian army demonstrated its skill, combat readiness and the quality of its equipment. Despite the growing strength of the Croatian armed forces Croatia's position favoured continued pursuit of political solutions, Tudjman stressed. "But if this is not possible, we will know how to use all legal means entitled to Croatia," Tudjman said. Commenting on Croatian media reports on clashes between Bosnian Army and Serb forces spilling over to Croatian territory, Tudjman said speculation about events in Croatian areas was exaggerated. He added that UN special envoy Akashi and UNPROFOR commander for the former Yugoslavia De Lapresle today told him that even they had no information on the issue. Tudjman described Istria's admission to the European Regional Assembly as symbolic. "In this regard it would be normal for all our counties to unite and form an association where they can discuss possible cooperation with European regional organisations," Tudjman said. (Hina) mar vm sd 141839 MET oct 94