SFOR TO DELIVER EQUIPMENT THROUGH RIJEKA

RIJEKA, Jan 20 (Hina) - U.S. army representatives on Wednesday held talks with city and county authorities of the northern Adriatic port of Rijeka, representatives of the Croatian army and police, and other local officials. The talks focused on the delivery of equipment via Rijeka for the U.S. component of NATO's peace Stabilisation Force (SFOR) in Bosnia. A ship with military equipment should sail into the Rijeka port around February 25. Three weeks later, another ship should sail in to transport part of used SFOR equipment back to the United States. Both tasks should be completed by April 8, but due to positive experience in similar operations last August and September, it is expected the task might be completed sooner. All parties expressed satisfaction with the organisational, security, financial, and other effects of last year's operations, and especially the level of cooperation. The U.S. delegation was headed by the commander of SFOR's 29th logistics base, Lt. Col. Michael I. Coldwell. Also in attendance was Lt. Col. Dragan Kovacevic from the Croatian government's Office for Cooperation with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. (hina) ha