NEW YEAR'S TELEVISION INTERVIEW BY CROATIAN PRESIDENT (2)

ZAGREB, Dec 31 (Hina) - Answering a question on current relations between Zagreb and Sarajevo, President Tudjman said that from the start Croatia supported the integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina, being aware it could not exist as a unitary state. "Croatia's policy towards Bosnia-Herzegovina has been consistent. We have made great efforts by signing agreements already known to the public as well as those to be publicized in due time," noted President Tudjman and added: "Izetbegovic and other Bosnian leaders accepted those agreements. However, not able to retrieve territories lost to the Serbs, the Moslem leadership wanted to seize territories of Croatian provinces, or later on the Croatian Republic of Herzeg- Bosnia. Today they are threatening Croatian enclaves in central Bosnia, continuing combat activities after signing a Christmas ceasefire agreement and even resorting to genocidal acts," said the Croatian President. He went on to say that "the Moslem offensive in Herzeg-Bosnia, aimed at gaining access to the Adriatic Sea, coincided with Serbian imperialistic plans. In addition, Croatia is caring for hundreds of thousand refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina." "We still do all we can to restore friendship with Bosnian Moslems, for the sake of the future and our common strategic interests," said President Tudjman, adding that Croatia's strategic interest was that the greatest part of Bosnia-Herzegovina was not controlled by Croatia's chief opponent. "The Bosnian crisis is very complex because neither Europe nor the United States is united on the issue and because no effective pressure is exerted," said President Tudjman. He said an upward trajectory could be seen now that the European Union took the initiative and took a more united stand in a joint effort to put a stop to the war which prevented the establishment of international order and threatened to flare up into a conflict of civilizations in the region. "The world has realized that the Moslems could no longer be treated only as victims, so that more effective pressure can be expected on the Moslem leadership," said the Croatian President, concluding that "pressure on them (Moslems) and Serbia, which caused the war, could lead to the end of the war." 311519 MET dec 93