33 EU AMBASSADORS TALK WITH ZUBAK

MOSTAR, Sept 16 (Hina) - President of the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina, Kresimir Zubak, today received 33 members of the European Union Group for the former Yugoslavia, led by Michael Steiner. Mostar's EU Administrator Hans Koschnik was also at the meeting. Zubak said that the vast majority of Croats supported the Washington Agreement on the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Vienna Agreement and the Brussels Treaty on the European administration of Mostar. He said that all Bosnian Croat and Croatian diaspora institutions as well as authorities in Croatia proper, supported the Agreements and the Adminsitrator, Hans Koschnik. But, said Zubak, there were Croatian groups and individuals who were obstructing the Washington Agreements and the EU administration in Mostar. The rocket assasination attempt on EU Mostar administrator, Hans Koschnik, was a prime example. "We are going to use political means to try and stop them from undermining these agreements," Zubak said. He said the attempt on Koschnik's life was the act of an individual not condoned by official Croatian policy. Meanwhile Steiner said the EU delegation was "stunned" by the attack on Koschnik, at the Ero Hotel where the EU administration is based. "An attack like this must not happen again," Steiner said. "Hans Koshcnik is our man here." Steiner said reports on the situation in the Federation of Bosnia- Herzegovina, particularly at the local level, were also worrying. He welcomed the conclusions reached at a recent meeting betwen Presidents Izetbegovic, Tudjman and Zubak in Zagreb. While Zubak dismissed the doubts of the international community as to the future of the Federation. "There is no doubt whatsoever - we are going to establish the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina in line with the Constitution, because it is of vital interest to both Croats and Bosniacs," he said. Zubak asked for international assistance for the impending reconstruction of the Ploce-Metkovic-Doboj railway, which is to be secured by police. Asked by EU diplomats on what he thought about on the lifting of the arms embargo, Zubak said: "There are no disagreements between Croats and Moslems regarding the lifting of the embargo - except that the Moslems are more impatient than we are. "The Croats support the unity of all international community institutions, any decision that could disrupt that unity would not be good for Bosnia-Herzegovina," he said. Mostar Croat Mayor Mijo Brajkovic spoke of the situation in the city, where "mutual distrust is still prevalent". He said it was to be expected, with 2,000 killed in the Croat- Moslem war in Mostar. Brajkovic said that Croat authorities fully respected the rights of 9,000 Moslems and the 3,000 Serbs now living on the western bank of the Neretva. (hina) mm as sd 161552 MET sep 94