JOINT DECLARATION SIGNED BY SILAJDZIC AND GRANIC IN SARAJEVO

ZAGREB, Nov 13 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic and Prime Minister of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina Haris Silajdzic signed their joint declaration on Friday in Sarajevo where they held talks on the current issues of the situation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the solution to the conflict between the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Bosnian Croats. Prime Minister of the B-H Government Haris Silajdzic and Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic, as special envoys of Presidents Izetbegovic and Tudjman respectively in observing their Joint Declaration signed on the 14th September 1993 in Geneva, signed the Sarajevo Declaration on the 12th November 1993, in Sarajevo, by the presence and the active participation of the Turkish Foreign Minister, Hikmet Cetin. They agreed that the fundamental principles of the Joint Declaration of Presidents Tudjman and Izetbegovic as well as the joint statement of these two Ministers, given in Vienna, could be the basis for the global solution of the relations between these two sides, aimed at reaching the final treaty concerning the crisis in B-H. In order to implement those principles, Dr. Haris Silajdzic and Dr. Mate Granic, as the special envoys of the Presidents, and by the help of the active participation of Mr. Hikmet Cetin agreed the following: "1. An urgent summit meeting of the political and military leaderships of the Army of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) should be prepared and organized within five to seven days latest in order to achieve a general agreement on the military issues referring to a cease- fire accord and cessation of hostilities. It has been agreed that both the sides should refrain strictly from all the military activities during the preparation for the meeting. 2. The relevant representatives of the authorities at the highest level will issue immediate authorizations and guarantees for free and unimpeded passage of humanitarian convoys for all the sides and to all the areas. In order to implement above mentioned provision, the sides have agreed that: a) to jointly appeal to the U.N. Security Council, the European Community and NATO in order that a free passage to all humanitarian convoys be enabled by all means including even the means of force, b) that the humanitarian corridor of'Ploce-Metkovic-Capljina-Mostar- Jablanica-Tarcin-Kiseljak-Visoko' be immediately established, c) that the corridor of 'Kamensko-Tomislavgrad-Gornji Vakuf-Novi Travnik- Travnik-Zenica be used until the above mentioned corridor could be available, d) that two Central Bosnia-bound humanitarian convoys be organized urgently, i.e. for Nova Bila and Maglaj respectively, e) that a joint commission be established with a mandate to coordinate all the activities referring to the humanitarian convoys and to cooperate with UNPROFOR, UNHCR as well as with other humanitarian organizations, f) that they should coordinate their activities in order to ensure repairs of systems for providing power. 5. Activities of already established joint commissions should resume concerning the exchange of the prisoners-of-war in cooperation with the ICRC and other international organizations. 6. All other controversial political, military and territorial issues between the Bosnian Croats and the Bosniaks will be solved only by political means and without use of force, whereas a special mechanism for the coordination of activities in connection with protection of the rights and interest of both the peoples will be established by help of diplomatic mediation of Turkey and other countries. 7. The sides will continue their working dialogues at the ministerial and other levels on all open questions in order to reach a solution of the Croatian-Bosnian relations and to make preparation for reactivating the peace process. " The Sarajevo Joint Declaration of these two Ministers concluded: "Dr. Haris Silajdzic and Dr. Mate Granic expressed their joint gratitude to the Republic of Turkey and Minister Hikmet Cetin for very precious and continuous political support and humanitarian aid to the Republic of Croatia and the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina in seeking the long-term negotiated settlement to the conflict in this region." 131233 MET nov 93