OPENING OF AIR CORRIDORS OVER BOSNIA STILL UNCERTAIN

SARAJEVO, Jan 17 (Hina) - The re-opening of corridors for civilian air traffic over the territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina, announced for 27 January this year, is still uncertain and it will depend on security assessments of NATO, said a deputy commander of international peace keepers in Bosnian (SFOR), General Charles Henry de Monchy on Monday. This SFOR general was quoted by the Sarajevo-based daily "Oslobodjenje" as saying that an agreement on the air space control between 9 and 12 thousand metres altitude, concluded by Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Yugoslavia was not sufficient and a final decision on the beginning if its implementation is on the SFOR chief commander Ronald Adams. General Adams is expecting instructions of the Allied Forces' Commander in Europe, General Clark, and after that he will take the final decision on letting civilian authorities assume the control over the upper part of the air space, this French General de Monchy told the daily. The upper part, namely corridors for civilian traffic, were closed prior to the start of the NATO air campaign against targets in Yugoslavia (Serbia/Montenegro) during the Kosovo conflict in March 1998. During recent negotiations in which SFOR officials took part, the re-opening of the air corridors was agreed and parties in concern also agreed that air space over Bosnia be supervised by flight controls in Zagreb and Belgrade as Sarajevo has still no technical possibilities for such task, while proceeds from dues of overflights of planes will be shared by these three countries. When and if air corridors over Bosnia be opened - what depends on the entire security situation - the space below 9,000 metres will remain under NATO control. (hina) ms