BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA MUST REDUCE ARMED FORCES BY 50 PERCENT - OSCE

SARAJEVO, Dec 11 (Hina) - Bosnia-Herzegovina will have to drastically reduce its armed forces, and in 2001, the reduction should amount to 50 percent, head of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Mission to Bosnia-Herzegovina Robert Barry said Monday. In an interview, published by Sarajevo's daily "Oslobodjenje" Barry said the only thing Bosnia-Herzegovina could afford at this moment was a radical reduction of military forces in the two entities and their reorganisation. Armed forces should be reduced to 15,000 soldiers in the entire Bosnia-Herzegovina, Barry added. He said that armed forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina were currently being reduced by 15 percent, adding, however, this was not enough. Commenting on statements that the reduction would sharpen the unemployment issue, Barry said they were unjustifiable. At the moment, there are 400,000 unemployed persons in Bosnia- Herzegovina, and by the reduction of the armed forces, the number will increase by only 2 percent, Barry added. He stressed that Bosnia-Hercegovina's armed forces should be entirely re-organised, because the defence system of the two entities, defined in 1995 could cause new conflicts. (hina) it