MINE ACTION CENTRE OFFICIALS ON MINE REMOVAL IN ZADAR COUNTY IN 2001

ZADAR, Jan 12 (Hina) - Funds for mine removal on a mine-infested area of some 4,749,660 square metres in Zadar County for this year have been secured, Drazen Budisa, president of the Croatian Mine Action Centre's (HCR) Council, said in Zadar on Friday. Budisa and HCR director Damir Gorseta and representatives of Zadar County and the public company Croatian Forests met today to discuss this year's mine removal plan for forests and forest paths in four Dalmatian counties, in particular in Zadar County. Budisa informed Zadar County prefect Sime Prtenjaca about the mine- removal plan. According to him, another plan for mine removal on 4,130,000 square metres has been drafted as well, but funds for it have not been secured yet. A total of 700 out of 3,300 square kilometres in Zadar County remain mine-infested. HCR director Gorseta believes the mine-infested area is probably by some 200 square kilometres smaller. Following the meeting in Zadar, the HCR officials visited a testing ground for new mine-removal methods and technologies in Benkovacko Selo, in the Zadar hinterland. A total of 33 square kilometres have been cleared of mines in the county so far. Twenty-eight people were killed in mine explosions. (hina) rml