GRANIC: DATE OF BOSNIAN ELECTIONS SHOULD BE SET AS SOON AS POSSIBL

POSSIBL $ E FLORENCE, June 13 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Thursday appealed to the International Community to determine the date of the elections in Bosnia-Herzegovina as soon as possible, pointing out that the elections would determine the future of the country more than anything else. "One of the first priorities of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe should be to determine and publicly announce the date of the elections...This would diminish the chances of success of those who have certain hopes that there is still time to develop alternatives or positions which are very much different from the Dayton opinion", Granic told the Peace Implementation Council conference in Florence, Italy. He pointed out Croatia's support for the preservation of a unified Bosnia-Herzegovina. "Any playing with the formula will on the one hand put distrust among Bosnian Croats, and on the other will further incite the Pale authorities to prevent the integration of the Serb entity and the Federation within the Dayton frame", warned Granic. The basic condition for regional stability was the Federation as the key strategic interest of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Granic said. He pointed out the importance of resolute implementation of a package of agreements on acts on defense, police and banking, on cooperation with the Hague-based International Criminal Tribunal and on freedom of movement in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Granic also warned the International Community of the necessity of providing aid for Bosnia-Herzegovina, but Croatia too, since it had suffered $27 billion of damages in the war. International help would be an important contribution to a conclusion to the peaceful reintegration of eastern Slavonia, Granic concluded. (hina) ha jn 132147 MET jun 96