CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES SARAJEVO ARCHBISHOP - STATEMENT

ZAGREB, Feb 28 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman today received the Archbishop of Sarajevo, Cardinal Vinko Puljic, a Presidential Office statement said. The meeting was also attended by Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic and the Head of the Presidential Cabinet, Gordan Radin. The subjects discussed included the overall peace process, possibilities of resolving the crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina, and the policy of domestic and international factors. Cardinal Puljic informed the President of living conditions of the Croatian people in Bosnia-Herzegovina, particularly in areas under Serb control. He also spoke of the difficult position and life of Croats in the Bosnian federation. Cardinal Puljic appealed to Croatia to continue extending assistance to Bosnian Croats. The Cardinal also spoke of his visit to Catholics in the Banja Luka area. President Tudjman emphasized that Croatia would urgently raise the problem of the endangered Bosnian Croat population before international forums. He said Croatia was willing to continue supporting the Croatian people in Bosnia-Herzegovina. The talks focused on humanitarian and other problems which were addressed by Bosiljko Misetic, the President's special plenipotentiary for confederal relations between the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Republic of Croatia. The President said that Croatia and himself would use their influence to alleviate and improve the plight of Bosnian Croats. "The Croatian people in Bosnia-Herzegovina won't be left on their own," President Tudjman said. The President said that ambassadors of the United States, Germany and Turkey to Bosnia-Herzegovina should set up an arbitration commission to help establish the Federation as soon as possible. The President stressed that the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina would be viable only in its confederation with the Republic of Croatia. President Tudjman also spoke of attempts at drawing Croats into a new Yugoslavia, and both he and the Cardinal agreed that this was unacceptable to Croats, the statement concluded. (hina) mm vm 282104 MET feb 95