ZAGREB - EXTENDED ZAGREB, Oct 20 (Hina) - The Regional Arms Control Verification and Implementation Assistance Centre (RACVIAC) was opened in the Vitez Damir Martic barracks in Rakitje near Zagreb on Friday. The centre will operate
within the Stability Pact for South Eastern Europe's Working Table on security issues.
ZAGREB, Oct 20 (Hina) - The Regional Arms Control Verification and
Implementation Assistance Centre (RACVIAC) was opened in the Vitez
Damir Martic barracks in Rakitje near Zagreb on Friday.
The centre will operate within the Stability Pact for South Eastern
Europe's Working Table on security issues. #L#
Present at the opening were Croatian Defence Minister Jozo Rados,
Stability Pact chief coordinator Bodo Hombach, a state secretary at
the German defence ministry, Walter Kolbow, assistants to
Croatia's defence minister and armed forces chief-of-staff, and
representatives of the President's office, the foreign and
European integration ministries.
Also in attendance were representatives of the diplomatic corps and
military envoys to Croatia.
RACVIAC is a vanguard project of the Stability Pact and an example-
setting quick-start project, said Hombach. He thanked the Croatian
and German governments as the project's initiator and sponsor.
RACVIAC was initiated by the German and accepted by the government
of Croatia as the partner country. At present it gathers 18
countries with active engagement.
RACVIAC will operate as a forum for dialogue among the countries in
the region. The adoption of joint standards and models will make it
easier for the countries to completely and exactly implement an
arms control accord they signed.
Hombach said he hoped RACVIAC would be the first Stability Pact
project to be joined by Yugoslavia and announced that Yugoslavia
would become a full Stability Pact member at a meeting of the
Stability Pact Regional Table, to be held in Bucharest on October
26.
According to Hombach, democratic changes in Yugoslavia have
brought about a fundamental change after which there is not a single
government in Europe which is ready to realise its goals with
military means.
Commenting on the concern of neighbouring countries about their
being pushed to the backseat should Yugoslavia become the European
Union's new pet, Hombach said he could promise on behalf of the EU
and Group G8 that this would not happen and that additional funds
would be secured for Serbia.
Croatian army brigadier Nikola Nogolica was appointed the centre's
director. He announced the first seminar, on the importance of
bilateral agreements in increasing stability and security in
south-east Europe, for next week.
He also announced 11 major events for 2001, including seminars,
courses and conferences.
In the first three years the centre's work will be financed by
Germany with six million DM, with an additional half a million DM
provided by the German foreign ministry. After that, countries in
the region will have to decide for themselves about further
financing.
The regional centre for assistance in the implementation of
international arms control agreements will encourage countries in
the region in all aspects of security policy. Initiatives relevant
for the entire region will be given priority.
(hina) jn rml