RUSSIAN AMBASSADOR TO CROATIA VISITS OSIJEK

OSIJEK, May 15 (Hina) - Russian Ambassador to Croatia, Leonid Kerestedzianc, visited today Osijek (eastern Croatia) where he held talks with the city mayor, Dr. Zlatko Kramaric, on the implementation of the Zagreb cease-fire agreement signed on 29 March in the Russian Embassy. They agreed that the complete materialization of the first stage of the Zagreb accord was the prerequisite for continuation of negotiations on the economic issues between the Croatian government and the representatives of Serb rebels. The Russian ambassador also wanted to be informed of developments in the area under protection of the Russian peacekeeping battalion. He also said that Russia opposed U.S. unilateral lifting of the arms embargo for Bosnia-Herzegovina. Russia could lift the sanctions imposed on Serbia as the response to such a move of the U.S.A., according to the Russian ambassador. He stressed that lifting of the arms embargo could cause intensifying of the conflict in B-H and termination of the UNPROFOR mandate in the crisis areas. Osijek's mayor and his guest discussed controlling of the borders, the issue of the airport of Klis and the Serb plunder of the oil from the Croatian oil field of Djeletovci in UNPA East. Mayor Kramaric also said that the citizens of Osijek and displaced persons situated in the city were dissatisfied by a slow and flawed implementation of the political part of the Zagreb agreement. During his visit to Osijek and eastern Croatia the Russian Ambassador will meet military commanders in UNPA East and the Croatian army's commander for the Osijek district, Major-General Djuro Decak. 151526 MET may 94