U.S. SUPPORTS PROFESSIONALISATION OF BOSNIA'S ARMY FORCES

SARAJEVO, Jan 9 (Hina) - The U.S. Embassy in Sarajevo on Saturday issued a statement saying that the United States fully supports efforts taken by the Nato-led Stabilisation Force in order to professionalise the military of Bosnia-Herzegovina and improve the quality of the commanding structure. The statement, forwarded to the Hina correspondent in Sarajevo, read that there were no different stands between the U.S. President's special envoy for the military stabilisation on the Balkans, James Pardew, and the SFOR chief commander, General Montgomery Meigs, considering this issue. The U.S. Embassy denied allegations published in the Sarajevo press that James Pardew had checked or approved proposals for the appointments of officers to the commanding posts of the Moslem- Croat Federal Army. The policy of the United States is to ensure that the military in Bosnia-Herzegovina are organised and trained in accordance to the Western military standards and under the civilian control, the statement read. It concluded that army commanders have to be independent of politics and obey orders of state authorities as well as respect the Constitution and the Dayton Accords. (hina) ms