MILOSEVIC DOESN'T WANT TO RECOGNISE CROATIA, HOLBROOKE SAYS

WASHINGTON, May 23 (Hina) - Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic was not prepared to discuss the recognition of Croatia right now, US undersecretary of state, Richard Holbrooke, told reporters yesterday. "It would be worth his while if he recognised Bosnia- Herzegovina, Croatia, Slovenia and Macedonia," Holbrooke said. "But right now, he doesn't want to talk about Croatia because of recent events (the liberation of western Slavonia) and because of eastern Slavonia," he said. "That's why we are dealing with Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia separately - we offered him something for Bosnia and kept something for Croatia," Holbrooke said. The arrangement with the Serb president fell through because of Milosevic's adamant refusal to accept a suspension on sanctions - only their lifting would do. Asked to comment on the prospects for the reintegration of Croatia's occupied areas now that Croatian and Bosnian Serbs decided to merge, Holbrooke said that chances for success were rather slight. (hina) jn as 241134 MET may 95