MOSTAR, April 4 (Hina) - The defence minister of Bosnia's Croat-Muslim federation, Mijo Anic, visited the southern Bosnian town of Mostar on Wednesday for the first time since assuming that position and held talks with French Defence
Minister Alain Richard. Richard is visiting French troops in SFOR's multinational division for the Southeast sector, headquartered at Mostar's Ortijes airport. At a press conference Anic called on the soldiers, officers and non-commissioned officers of the federal army's Croat component to report to the federal Defence Ministry for the establishment of the first and second guard brigades. Anic said the fourth guard brigade, in the Bosanska Posavina region in the north, had already been established, and that the establishment of the third guard brigade, in Central Bosnia, was nearing completion. The defence minister also spoke of efforts aimed at establishing all units of t
MOSTAR, April 4 (Hina) - The defence minister of Bosnia's Croat-
Muslim federation, Mijo Anic, visited the southern Bosnian town of
Mostar on Wednesday for the first time since assuming that position
and held talks with French Defence Minister Alain Richard.
Richard is visiting French troops in SFOR's multinational division
for the Southeast sector, headquartered at Mostar's Ortijes
airport.
At a press conference Anic called on the soldiers, officers and non-
commissioned officers of the federal army's Croat component to
report to the federal Defence Ministry for the establishment of the
first and second guard brigades.
Anic said the fourth guard brigade, in the Bosanska Posavina region
in the north, had already been established, and that the
establishment of the third guard brigade, in Central Bosnia, was
nearing completion.
The defence minister also spoke of efforts aimed at establishing
all units of the federal army's Croat component, the Croat Defence
Council (HVO), in the wake of a decision on their dissolution made
recently by the Croat National Congress, which proclaimed Bosnian
Croat self-rule about six weeks ago.
Anic dismissed accusations by the Congress that as a defence
minister he did not have the legitimacy and legality of the Bosnian
Croat people. He reminded had been one of the founders of the HVO and
the Bosnian Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ BH) party in Bosanska
Posavina, and the founder of the Ravne Brcko Croat Municipality.
Anic added he had been on the HDZ BH presidency for six years,
fighting for Bosnian Croats to stay in their hometowns from the
north to the south borders.
The French defence minister pointed out that one political movement
strove to undermine efforts intended to reach of peace and
democratic reorganisation. He said France wanted to help
authorities in Bosnia's federation to gain full control over the
federal armed forces, and emphasised the need for Bosnia to
reorganise its armed forces.
(hina) ha sb