ZAGREB, Jan 17 (Hina) - A delegation of American experts, representatives of the US Government and non-government organisations is visiting Croatia in a mission of evaluating the situation and preparing new forms of cooperation in the
painstaking process of detecting and removing anti-personnel mines. The office for global humanitarian demining of the American State Department chose Croatia for assistance as part of the Demining Initiative 2010 of President Bill Clinton, whose goal is to remove mine threats for civilians all over the globe. The United States Government is already actively supporting Croatia in the process of humanitarian demining through the Croatian Government's CROMAC Centre for Demining, representatives, led by the wife of US Ambassador to Croatia and establisher of a demining programme, Lynn Montgomery, told a news conference in Zagreb Monday. "In 1999 we demined a kilometre and 200,000 square metre
ZAGREB, Jan 17 (Hina) - A delegation of American experts,
representatives of the US Government and non-government
organisations is visiting Croatia in a mission of evaluating the
situation and preparing new forms of cooperation in the painstaking
process of detecting and removing anti-personnel mines.
The office for global humanitarian demining of the American State
Department chose Croatia for assistance as part of the Demining
Initiative 2010 of President Bill Clinton, whose goal is to remove
mine threats for civilians all over the globe.
The United States Government is already actively supporting
Croatia in the process of humanitarian demining through the
Croatian Government's CROMAC Centre for Demining,
representatives, led by the wife of US Ambassador to Croatia and
establisher of a demining programme, Lynn Montgomery, told a news
conference in Zagreb Monday.
"In 1999 we demined a kilometre and 200,000 square metres thanks to
the American assistance, which is significant help," head of the
CROMAC, Damir Gorseta, said.
In Croatia 6,000 squared kilometres were covered in mines, and
today this area has been decreased to 4,500, Gorseta said.
The United States last year assisted the mine-clearing process with
a million dollars, and this year the amount will be doubled, the US
representatives said.
Besides concrete assistance in demining, the Americans offered a
new form of cooperation and new possibilities of financing, Gorseta
said, commending Lynn Montgomery's contribution.
The Americans recognised a partner in Croatia, ready to test some
new technologies in detection -- the most difficult problem in
mine-clearance, CROMAC scientific council chairman, Milan Bajic
said, explaining that the importance of America's action was
reflected in this very form of help.
Heidi Kuehn, executive director of the American foundation "Roots o
Peace", announced that a visit of a group of Californian vine
growers were expected to visit the Dragalic area (eastern Croatia)
and Zadar in three months.
This association, in cooperation with Californian vine growers,
and under the motto sow the seeds of abundance instead of seeds of
destruction, gathers funds for identifying mine fields in areas
where the quality of soil and the climate were appropriate for
growing vine.
Director of the Slovene international demining foundation, Jernej
Cimpersek, announced that the European Union had pledges for the
year 200 half a million dollars for mine-clearing in Croatia, and
Canada promised US$700,000.
The US delegation will travel on Monday for a two-day visit of the
Zadar area, and on January 20 will visit Vukovar accompanied by Lynn
Montgomery, CROMAC and the Slovene foundation representatives.
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