CROATIAN ARMY TO DISSOLVE CORPS, TERRITORIAL COMMANDS AS PART OF REORGANISATION

ZAGREB, March 28 (Hina) - The Croatian armed forces will dissolve corps and territorial commands as part of a reorganisation programme aimed at adjusting to NATO standards, Defence Minister Berislav Roncevic has said.#L# "We have launched an initiative to reorganise our military as a modern, effective and mobile armed force," Roncevic told Hina in an interview on his first 100 days in office. He said that the previous reorganisation plan was not specific in the part referring to some levels of command, notably corps and territorial commands, which was also the main objection raised by NATO experts during their recent visit to Croatia. "In our contacts with NATO experts in Brussels, we have been told that our armed forces are too static and territory-based and as such not designed to NATO standards," Roncevic said. "The reorganisation plan has not yet been finalised but it is taking shape and the corps could be dissolved in the next two years. The idea is to set up the General Command of the Armed Forces with operational units subordinated directly to it," he said. Roncevic went on to say that old equipment used by the armed forces should be scrapped and that no investment should be made in projects that were not in line with NATO standards. He added that the reserve force was too big and also needed reorganising. (Hina) vm