ANIC: RE-REGISTRATION OF BH CROAT TROOPS PROCEEDING AS PLANNED

SARAJEVO, June 12 (Hina) - The Defence Minister of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Mijo Anic, has dismissed claims that talks on the return of Croat soldiers to the Federation Army's Croat component have failed. The process is proceeding as planned and will be completed by June 15, he told reporters in Sarajevo on Tuesday. "The talks have not failed and as far as the Defence Ministry is concerned they won't fail," Anic said commenting on a statement issued the day before in Mostar. Instead of a conference which was to be held by General Zlatan Mijo Jelic and Colonel Mario Bradara in Mostar yesterday, reporters were given an unsigned statement of a "negotiating team" of "self- disbanded" members of the Federation Army accusing Minister Anic of the failure to consolidate Croat units, which they said was caused by unacceptable political demands. The minister was particularly accused of trying to appoint officers "loyal to the Alliance (for Changes)" to all commanding posts. Minister Anic today met with all commanders of the 2nd Battalion of the 3rd Guard Brigade stationed in the area of the central Bosnian town of Kiseljak. All of them renewed their contracts with the Defence Ministry and obliged themselves to report for duty as of tomorrow. After the meeting Anic told reporters 95 percent of Croat soldiers and officers stationed in Kiseljak had decided to return to their regular duties. He announced that a special ministry delegation would visit Tomislavgrad in southern Bosnia to renew contracts with the members of the 1st and 2nd Brigades of the Federation Army. "We are close to the final figure of 7,225 soldiers and officers the Croat component of the Federation Army had before the crisis broke out," he said. There will be no new extensions of the June 15 deadline for the re- registration of Croat troops and those who do not renew their contracts by that date will lose their jobs, Anic said. (hina) rml