IZETBEGOVIC FORWARDS PROTEST TO PARIS OVER PLAVSIC'S WELCOME

( Editorial: --> 0935 ) SARAJEVO, Feb 10 (Hina) - The French Ambassador to Bosnia- Herzegovina received a letter on Tuesday protesting over the way the Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic had been welcomed in Paris on Monday. Plavsic was greeted in front of the Champs Elysees and French President Jacques Chirac kissed her hand. "With the greeting ceremony for the President of Republika Srpska, France deeply insulted Bosnia-Herzegovina and all its citizens.... "Contrary to common rules and diplomatic practice, the invitation procedure completely passed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the President of Republika Srpska was greeted as the head of state," the letter from the office of the chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegovic, said. The unusually harsh letter said that for Bosnia-Herzegovina, "this is not the first disappointment". "Our citizens remember the sad role of French General Janvier who contributed to the misfortune of Srebrenica (a protected enclave in eastern Bosnia from which 5,000 civilians and soldiers disappeared) by denying help to UNPROFOR troops in July 1995... "It is also no coincidence that it is the French soldiers that are refusing to cooperate with the International war crimes tribunal," the letter said. (hina)lm mm 102103 MET feb 98