ZAGREB ZAGREB, Sept 24 (Hina) - A donors' conference on the removal of land mines in Croatia began on Monday in Zagreb. The conference on humanitarian demining was organised by the Croatian government, the Croatian Mine Action Centre
(HCR), the World Bank and the United Nations' Development Programme (UNDP). Opening the event, Croatian Labour and Social Welfare Minister Davorko Vidovic, who is also the HCR council's chairman, said Croatia was among first ten countries in the world infested with mines. Approximately 4,000 kilometres of Croatia's territory is mine-infested, with about 1,200,000 unexploded mines in the war-struck 14 counties. This not only poses a threat to the safety and security of the local population but it also hinders the recovery of the economy in the war-hit areas. To date, Croatia's authorities have ensured the largest amount of the financial assistance for the demining, while for
ZAGREB, Sept 24 (Hina) - A donors' conference on the removal of land
mines in Croatia began on Monday in Zagreb.
The conference on humanitarian demining was organised by the
Croatian government, the Croatian Mine Action Centre (HCR), the
World Bank and the United Nations' Development Programme (UNDP).
Opening the event, Croatian Labour and Social Welfare Minister
Davorko Vidovic, who is also the HCR council's chairman, said
Croatia was among first ten countries in the world infested with
mines. Approximately 4,000 kilometres of Croatia's territory is
mine-infested, with about 1,200,000 unexploded mines in the war-
struck 14 counties. This not only poses a threat to the safety and
security of the local population but it also hinders the recovery of
the economy in the war-hit areas.
To date, Croatia's authorities have ensured the largest amount of
the financial assistance for the demining, while foreign donations
have accounted for 20 percent of the financial support, Vidovic
said adding that the demining was an expensive process for Croatia,
that a country in transition.
Croatian Parliament Speaker Zlatko Tomcic, under whose auspices
the conference is taking place, thanked about 150 participants from
Croatia and abroad for attending the conference.
In 1996 the Croatian parliament adopted a demining law and a
national strategy on this issue, Tomcic recalled.
He reiterated that Zagreb expected substantial assistance from the
international community in mine removal operations.
Mine explosions are the third most common cause of death in Croatia,
with 1,828 victims. Last year alone, 22 persons were injured, 9 of
them fatally.
(hina) ms