BOSNIA TO JOIN PARTNERSHIP FOR PEACE WITH TWO ARMIES

SARAJEVO, Sept 20 (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina will join Partnership for Peace (PfP) in the near future, but the two entities - the Muslim-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serbs - will keep their two separate armies, it was concluded Thursday, after the two-day talks between NATO experts and Bosnian authorities. Head of the NATO PfP office George Kastridakis told the press a compromise had been reached that would enable Bosnia to join PfP soon. A "joint civilian command structure" would be formed at the state level, while the Bosnian Serb entity, Republika Srpska, and the Muslim-Croat federation would keep their own armies. It is important to say that a country can be admitted to PfP only on the state level, not the level of entities that constitute the state, Kastridakis pointed out. He admitted, however, the two Bosnian entities were a reality, although, as he said, that did not have to be the case forever. The international community expects the two entities to achieve a higher level of cooperation, including the creation of the civilian command structure that might grow into a state-level defence ministry. Kastridakis also stated the two entities had to continue with the cuts in the number of active military personnel because the current number was unacceptable in relation to Bosnia's economic potential. Republika Srpska representatives have not hidden their pleasure with the fact that they were no longer under pressure to create a joint Bosnian army, a concept they were decidedly against. "This only shows that what we've been saying all along is true - the Dayton Peace Accords are no hindrance to Bosnia joining PfP," the Serb entity President, Mirko Sarovic, said. The compromise solution, however, deviates from the conditions NATO Secretary-General George Robertson put forward during his visit to Bosnia in July. He stated then a joint army and a state level defence ministry were basic prerequisites for Bosnia joining PfP. (hina) js