EIGHTH ANNIVERSARY OF DEATH OF EC MONITORS MARKED IN PODRUTE

PODRUTE, Jan 7 (Hina) - A meeting commemorating the eighth anniversary of the death of five members of the European Community Monitoring Mission was held in Podrute near Zagreb on Friday. Five Italian and French officers and non-commissioned officers - Silvano Natale, Fiorenzo Ramaccio, Enzo Venturini, Marc Matte and Jean-Loupe Eychenne - were killed on January 7, 1992 when their helicopter crashed in Podrute. Present at the commemoration were the families of the deceased as well as high Croatian, European Union, Italian, and French officials. Addressing the gathered on behalf of the Croatian Government, Assistant Foreign Minister and Coordinator for the Stability Pact Vladimir Drobnjak said the deceased had contributed to Croatia's becoming an equal member of the European community and that their death was not in vain because Croatia today was a peaceful, democratic country and an important factor of regional stability. The event was attended by the head of the EC Monitoring Mission, Pedro Moutinho de Almeida, Portugal's Ambassador Ana Barata, whose country is chairing the EU, Italy's Ambassador Fabio Pigliapoco, the first advisor at the French Embassy, Louis de Corail, officials from the Defence Ministry, Government Office for Cooperation with the OSCE, Italian Air Force, Croatian Air Force and Anti-Aircraft Defence and local officials. Following the commemoration, a mass was served in the local church. (hina) rml