U.S. SPECIAL ENVOY VISITS MOSTAR

MOSTAR, June 30 (Hina) - The US special envoy for the implementation of the Dayton peace agreement, Robert Gelbard, visited the southern Bosnian town of Mostar on Monday where he met behind closed doors with senior Bosnian Croat officials, including the president of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) party of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bozo Rajic, Bosnian Presidency member Kresimir Zubak, Bosnian Federation president Vladimir Soljic and foreign minister Jadranko Prlic. The US delegation expressed dissatisfaction with the pace of the implementation of the Dayton accords in the entire country and criticised all the three parties in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Rajic told reporters after the meeting, adding that the Croat side was least criticised. The US officials also held separate talks with Mostar mayor Ivan Prskalo and his deputy Safet Orucevic, and cantonal interior minister Valentin Coric and his deputy Sefkija Dziho. Prskalo said that Gelbard explained US intentions and repercussions that would take place in Mostar and the Croat-Moslem Federation unless agreements were implemented. He added that they discussed the establishment of joint police in the Hercegovina-Neretva canton. Orucevic said that the US, exerting "very strong and energetic pressure," insisted on the implementation of the Sarajevo agreement on establishing a joint police force in the Hercegovina-Neretva canton as well as the amendments to the cantonal constitution regulating the administrative setup of Mostar. Gelbard declined to make any statement to reporters although a press conference had been announced. (hina) vm mm 301921 MET jun 97