UN EXTENDS UNMOP MANDATE BY SIX MONTHS

ZAGREB/NEW YORK, Jan 15 (Hina) - The U.N. Security Council on Monday evening adopted Resolution 1387 extending the mandate of U.N. military observers on the peninsula of Prevlaka until July 15, 2002. The Security Council has agreed that the UN military observers should continue monitoring the demilitarisation of the Prevlaka peninsula until July 15, 2002 and requested that the Secretary- General provide it with reports on a regular basis, the document says. The resolution welcomes progress in the normalisation of relations between Croatia and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the establishment of a joint commission on borders. The Council has also requested that all sides step up efforts to find a permanent solution to the contested issue of Prevlaka in line with Article 4 of the Agreement on the Normalisation of Relations. The sides are also urged to continue reporting to the U.N. Security Council about the status of bilateral talks and the work of the commission on borders. The resolution reaffirms Croatia's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognised borders. Secretary-General Kofi Annan last week proposed that the Security Council extend the mandate of its mission of observers on Prevlaka until July 15. Croatia's permanent representative at the U.N., Ivan Simonovic, had previously sent a letter to the Security Council stating Croatia was ready to accept the last extension of the UNMOP mandate by another six months. He stressed that the security situation on Prevlaka no longer posed a threat to peace and security in the region, urging Security Council members to consider the completion of the mandate. (hina) rml