DEFENCE MINISTRY REACTS TO PRESS ALLEGATIONS

ZAGREB, Feb 20 (Hina) - The Croatian Defence Ministry refuted a Jutarnji List article of Wednesday alleging that a joint Croatian- U.S. military exercise was secret and that Russia had cause to report Croatia to the armament control department of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Vienna. "A small joint exercise involving members of the Croatian and American armed forces, called 'Alliance Camp', is underway," the ministry said in a statement today, adding the public had been informed about the time, content, and goals of the exercise on Feb. 12. The ministry reminds this is the first Croatian-American military exercise, which involves training for operations in cold weather, mountaineering, ground operations, etc. The defence ministry says that in line with the OSCE Vienna document from 1999, it is "obliged to inform about the holding of a joint (land) military exercise in case it involves a minimum of 9,000 soldiers, while the presence of OSCE observers is necessary when it involves a minimum 13,000 soldiers." The ministry stresses that in light of the fact that "Alliance Camp" is carried out with much fewer soldiers, allegations that Croatia will be reported for non-compliance with OSCE regulations are entirely unfounded. (hina) ha sb