MUNICH TALKS ON STRENGTHENING BOSNIAN FEDERATION IS SUCCESS

MUNICH, Feb 5 (Hina) - A Munich meeting between leaders of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia's high officials, and representatives of the Contact Group's five member-countries finished this afternoon successfully after a plan with nine items was adopted on strengthening the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The meeting was held on the initiative of the US Administration following a request from the Bosnian Federation. Croatia's delegation included Foreign Minister Mate Granic, Defence Minister Gojko Susak, Croatian Ambassador to the UN in Geneva, Miomir Zuzul, and Croatian Ambassador in Germany, Ivan Ilic. The Bosnian Federation's delegates at the Munich meeting were President Kresimir Zubak, Vice President Ejup Ganic, and Premier Haris Silajdzic. The representatives of the Contact Group attended the meeting chaired by US Assistant Secretary of State, Richard Holbrooke, and US Defence Secretary William Perry and three US Senators were also on hand. The chairman of the meeting, Holbrooke, said at a press conference that the participants had identified several key problems to be resolved in next two months. Some of the problems referred to lifting obstacles to transport and communications in the Bosnian Federation, providing financial means, establishing joint border patrols, custom offices, and police. Other problems to be resolved would be the rotation of the Bosnian Federation's President, the formation of cantons and establishment of the joint headquarters as a step forward to the integrated armed force. All participants in the meeting told the press conference that they were satisfied with the results of the talks in Munich. Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said they had agreed on an international arbitrator who would deal with particularly political and military matters. He said that neither of recent meetings had brought about such identical positions, on one side, between Bosniacs (Moslems) and Croats, and on the other, between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. Granic added that US Defence Secretary Perry was interested in how far the talks with Belgrade had come. I conveyed Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's positions that we would talk with Belgrade about the normalization of the relations, the mutual recognition, but in no way to the detriment of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Granic said. Bosnian Premier Haris Silajdzic told the press conference that the international community at the Munich meeting "firmly supported the territorial integrity and sovereignty of both the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia". He described this support as the grounds for the peace process. Silajdzic added that the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina was playing a key role in this process. The Bosnian Federation's President Kresimir Zubak said he was optimistic about the Federation's future, and emphasized that the stalemate in the implementation of the Washington Accords had not provoked fresh conflict between Croat and Moslem peoples in Bosnia. He reiterated that he opted for the Federation as the project in the interest of the two peoples. Zubak held that there were some of the Bosniac (Moslem) leaders who did not favour the Federation insisting that the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina be superior to the Federation. (hina) mms 052007 MET feb 95