FOREIGN DIPLOMATS TALK WITH DELEGATION OF LOCAL SERBS

ZAGREB, Nov 9 (Hina) - Diplomats of Great Britain, the United States, France, Russia and Germany in Croatia, met with a delegation of Croatia's ethnic Serbs from the Danubian area, at the British Embassy on Saturday. They exchanged views on issues important to the reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area into Croatia's constitutional and legal system. After the meeting, its chairman, British Ambassador Gavin Hewitt, said that the diplomats had wanted to be informed by the Serb delegation from the area under the UN transitional administration, about the needs of the Serb community in the area in question. Britain's Hewitt said the diplomats of the five countries had received the Serb delegation for talks in order "to emphasize that they should be turning towards Zagreb not Belgrade." He added that they had received the backing of the Serb delegation in that view. The meeting was an occasion for the Serb delegation to present the views on the topical issues such as elections in the Croatian Danubian area and to inform the diplomats about Saturday's talks with Croatia's President Franjo Tudjman, he said. At the end, Hewitt added that "it is important to say that we (foreign diplomats) want to deal with all Croatian citizens including Serbs." (hina) jn mš 091618 MET nov 96