MONTENEGRO TO DEMINE ITS SIDE OF BORDER WITH CROATIA BY JUNE

PODGORICA, Jan 19 (Hina) - Montenegro's side of the border with Croatia on the southern peninsula of Prevlaka will be demined by June 1, Veselin Mijajlovic, director of a Montenegrin demining centre, said in Podgorica on Sunday. #L# The Debeli brijeg location was reconnoitred thrice with representatives of the Croatian Mine Action Centre and it was established that about one million square metres of land on the Croatian and some 310,000 on the Montenegrin side of the border were planted with mines, said Mijajlovic. The area will be demined by June 1 at the latest to ensure the smooth transit of people and goods in the peak tourist season, he told Montenegro's MINA agency. Two Montenegrin experts will be sent to Croatia to accelerate the realisation of the project, said Mijajlovic. "We expect that all projects relating to demining in the Debeli brijeg border belt will be finished by January 30," he said. Demining on both sides will cost 700-800,000 euros, including about 200,000 on the Montenegrin side, Mijajlovic said. (hina) ha