JOINT STATEMENT ON BOSNIAN AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL SIGNED

ZAGREB, Feb 1 (Hina) - The Croatian Air Navigation Control (HKZP) has been safely and effectively carrying out operative services of air traffic control in southern Bosnia's air space since Dec. 27, 2001, thus meeting all demands from civil and military air space users, read a joint statement. HKZP will perform this task for Bosnia for the next four years. The statement was signed at Zagreb's airport on Friday by representatives of the Bosnia and Herzegovina Civil Aviation Department, HKZP, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (Eurocontrol), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), and NATO's Stabilisation Force (SFOR). Bosnia took over civil aviation control from SFOR under an agreement signed late last year but, due to a lack of quality personnel referred to Croatia as a neighbouring state for assistance. It was agreed Zagreb would carry out the task until Bosnian personnel were trained. HKZP director Drazen Ramljak pointed to the importance of demilitarising the neighbour's air space. According to the head of ICAO's Paris office, Christian Eigl, who signed the joint statement on Bosnia's behalf, today's document after many years finally enabled safe air connections between northern and southern Europe and the normalisation of life in Bosnia. Today's signing of the joint statement is just a formal confirmation of a well-done job, Eigl said. (hina) ha sb