CROATIAN PRESIDENT AND PREMIER MEET WITH EDITORS IN CHIEF (III)

ZAGREB, Nov 17 (Hina) - Commenting further on Mr Izetbegovic's statement, President Tudjman said: "We tried to achieve coordination between the Croats and Moslems ... within a confederative organization of Bosnia- Herzegovina. I also proposed that the crisis in the former Yugoslavia be solved on a confederative basis. I thought that in that way Croatia could achieve its sovereignty against Serb territorial claims to create a Greater Serbia after Tito had gone off the historic scene, and in that way avoid the war. Mr Izetbegovic signed with us an agreement on such cooperation on 14 September this year. Two days afterwards, he also signed an agreement with Serbs. The statement he has made lately is in fact his orientation towards partitioning Bosnia-Herzegovina, an agreement with Serbs to immediately join Serbia, and that all the rights are transferred to the Moslem republic. Mr Izetbegovic may have thought that then he would be able to take control of the Croatian territories. In that case Croatia must open its eyes and take a view to protect the Croatian people and the strategic interests of the Croatian state." Asked to comment on the talks he had held with officials of Herzeg-Bosnia in Split, after which there were certain changes in the Government of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, President Tudjman said: "We told our friends from Herzeg-Bosnia that better coordination between our and their efforts to enable the delivery of relief aid should be achieved, and our Foreign Minister Granic has made particular efforts to this effect." President Tudjman said that Croatia had called on the Croatian leadership in Herzeg-Bosnia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to prevent revenge over Moslem crimes and offensives and to punish the perpetrators in Croatian ranks. It had called on them to organize government and administration in Herzeg- Bosnia better, "because authorities in Sarajevo are the authorities of the Moslem republic even if they are called the government and presidency of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and there is also the Serbian republic." 171800 MET nov 93