CROATIAN PRESIDENT HOLDS A PRESS CONFERENCE

ZAGREB, March 7 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman told a press conference in Zagreb on Monday that the Washington agreement was in line with the policy Croatia had pursued from the start. "The Croatian state policy and my personal policy has been consistent in preparing grounds for such a solution," the Croatian president said, rejecting objections that the agreement marked a turn in the Croatian policy. "Those who do not understand this agreement or who interpret it with ill intentions object that by signing this preliminary agreement Croatia followed the dictate of the United States," Tudjman said and added: "The Washington agreement on establishing a Croato-Bosnian Moslem federation in Bosnia-Herzegovina and on forming a confederation of the federation and Croatia is not a dictate but falls in line with the policy we have pursued, which has been and remains to be in the interest of the Croatian people as a whole and the Croatian state." President Tudjman recalled that he had suggested to representatives of the Bosnian Croats and the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) in Bosnia-Herzegovina that the Bosnian Croats should participate in a referendum for the independence of Bosnia- Herzegovina. "Afterwards, we did not agree with and sign everything we were offered, as some believe, but were seeking solutions that would be to the interest of the Croatian people as a whole, the Croats in Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Croatian state alike, and to the interest of the international community as well, in order to make peace in former Yugoslavia and this part of southeastern Europe," Tudjman stressed. Asked to comment on the fact that Bosnian President Alija Izetbegovic had not yet evaluated the Washington agreement, the Croatian president replied he believed President Izetbegovic had had to discuss it with Prime Minister Haris Silajdzic before Silajdzic put his signature on the agreement. He said that during talks Izetbegovic agreed that the unity of the Croats and Moslems in Bosnia-Herzegovina was necessary, on which, according to Tudjman, both open and secret agreements had been signed. Tudjman told reporters that under the Constitution a referendum would be called on forming a confederation between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, but not before the Bosnian Serbs decided about the organization of future Bosnia-Herzegovina. Asked about a possibility of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro) joining the confederation, the Croatian president replied: "I think there will be no such referendum in Croatia." He went on to say that Croatia would continue its efforts to normalize relations with Serbia in order to accelerate the reintegration of the UN protected areas into the legal and constitutional system of Croatia. Referring to allegations in the Serb press about a meeting of the Serbian and Croatian presidents in Zagreb or Belgrade in the near future, President Tudjman said that a precondition for such a meeting would be Serbia's recognition of Croatia within its internationally recognized borders. Asked to comment yesterday's Serb attack on Gospic, Tudjman said that among Serbs there were those who opposed a peaceful resolution of the crisis and wanted to continue the war at all levels. Answering a question who guaranteed that the occupied Croatian territories would be returned to Croatia, President Tudjman recalled statements by the most responsible international factors, laying particular emphasis on the United Nations and all of its resolutions which guaranteed Croatia its territorial integrity. The Croatian president found the forthcoming visit of Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic to Moscow the continuation of Russia's positive efforts, in line with the efforts of the European Union and the international community. He reminded that the Russian government had supported the integrity of Croatia. Speaking of the succession of former Yugoslavia, the Croatian president noted that Serbia was obstructing talks about this matter. He pointed out that those talks could not be delayed forever as it would mean that Serbia could use assets owned by former Yugoslavia. In this connection, President Tudjman said that part of the heavy weaponry currently being placed under UN supervision should be either destroyed or given to others. "I, personally, would favour its destruction, and a financial settlement to that part of the succession problem," Tudjman stressed. 071925 MET mar 94