CROATIAN PRESIDENT'S PRESS CONFERENCE (III)

ZAGREB, Feb 10 (Hina) - Responding to a question on the likelihood of renewed hostitilities between the Croats and Moslems in Bosnia- Herzegovina, Tudjman stressed that almost no armed conflicts had been recorded between the two sides since the Washington accords were signed. Tudjman added that recent talks in Munich were in line with Croatian proposals for international arbitration in disputes surrounding the implementation of the Washington agreement. He was confident that "we are on the path towards the successful resolution of those issues." "But avenues for an efficient confederation with Croatia should also be pursued because the Federation alone would not be enough for Croatian people (because of their number and position in Bosnia-Herzegovina) if their existence and equality was not guaranteed by confederal relations." Responding to several questions concerning the mutual recognition of Serbia and Croatia, Tudjman said he would stick to his stance of not talking to Milosevic until Serbia recognized Croatia. Tudjman said the recognition could not be won during the Croatian Foreign Minister, Mate Granic's impending visit to Belgrade, adding that the talks there could pave the way to future recognition. Croatia would only agree to be recognized within its internationally recognized borders and talks about border issues were out of the question, Tudjman specified. "The recognition would mean that Belgrade has renounced its occupation of Croatian territories," which would force Knin ringleaders to return to the negotiating table and effectively fulfil the agreement on the peaceful resolution of the crisis, Tudjman said. Asked if Croatia would agree to extending the UNPROFOR mandate if Serbia recognized Croatia within its international borders, Tudjman said no, because UNPROFOR served Serbs in prolonging their occupation. "Most of the blame should not be put on UNPROFOR but on local Serb authorities and rebels who obstructed the implmentation of the Vance plan and Security Council resolutions, and on Belgrade as well." Croatia would not object to some observers being deployed on its borders with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Serbia, he added. Neither would Croatia object to the international supervision of the ethnic rights of the Serb community in Croatia and local self-government in areas where they were in the majority before the war, which was in the spirit of the Croatian Constitution and Constitutional Law. Asked why the Constitutional Law on Minority Rights had not yet been put into practice, Tudjman said that the human, political, ethnic and cultural rights of Serbs were guaranteed in all parts of Croatia, adding that Serbs worked in Croatian universities, courts, parliament and elsewhere. Tudjman blamed Belgrade and Serb ringleaders in occupied areas for obstructing the implementation of the Constitutional Law in occupied areas. "The point is that they give up the occupation and agree to the Constitutional Law being applied in occupied areas," Tudjman stressed. Responding to a question on yesterday's government session held under his chairmanship, Tudjman said that the session considered the implementation of government policy on crucial issues of which he spoke in his report to Parliament on the state of the nation. We also discussed the security and defence aspects of the current situation and the possible development of the situation. Tudjman concluded by saying that the session demonstrated the unity of the Government, Parliament and public. (hina) jn sd vm 102143 MET feb 95