NEW YORK, Apr 13 (Hina) - The United Nations observers on Croatia's southern-most tip of Prevlaka who lived in the Montenegrin town of Herceg Novi on March 24 temporarily moved onto Croatian territory for security reasons, UN
Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a report on the mandate of UN Military Observers on Prevlaka (UNMOP) issued in New York on Tuesday. Annan's assessment is that the security situation on both sides of the Croatian-Montenegrin border was stable until the beginning of NATO's military operations against the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. As a result of the air strikes, increased tension was registered in Montenegro which, together with Serbia, is one of Yugoslavia's two republics. The Secretary-General stated the presence of Croatian police and Yugoslav border police in Prevlaka's demilitarised area does not represent a security problem. In his report to the UN Security Council, Annan noted t
NEW YORK, Apr 13 (Hina) - The United Nations observers on Croatia's
southern-most tip of Prevlaka who lived in the Montenegrin town of
Herceg Novi on March 24 temporarily moved onto Croatian territory
for security reasons, UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said in a
report on the mandate of UN Military Observers on Prevlaka (UNMOP)
issued in New York on Tuesday.
Annan's assessment is that the security situation on both sides of
the Croatian-Montenegrin border was stable until the beginning of
NATO's military operations against the Federal Republic of
Yugoslavia. As a result of the air strikes, increased tension was
registered in Montenegro which, together with Serbia, is one of
Yugoslavia's two republics.
The Secretary-General stated the presence of Croatian police and
Yugoslav border police in Prevlaka's demilitarised area does not
represent a security problem.
In his report to the UN Security Council, Annan noted the
increasingly improved cooperation of Croatian authorities with the
UNMOP. As a result, the UN observers were enabled supervision of the
demilitarised area's north-western part as well.
The Secretary-General paid special attention to the opening of a
border crossing between Croatia and Montenegro/Yugoslavia.
Annan welcomed the opening of the Debeli Brijeg crossing, but
objected to the opening of a crossing at Konfin which is on
territory the UN warns is exclusively under its supervision.
Annan noted that at present, Konfin is opened only four hours per
day, and urged that Security Council decisions be complied with,
i.e. that the crossing be closed.
The Secretary-General was encouraged by the fact that Croatian-
Yugoslav bilateral negotiations on finding a solution for the
Prevlaka issue were continuing, but was disappointed that no
progress had been made in the matter.
Annan concluded that the current events in Yugoslavia limited the
possibilities for continuing the negotiations, but pointed out
that neither side must abuse the situation to achieve goals which
are not in keeping with the Croatian-Yugoslav agreement on the
normalisation of relations.
(hina) ha jn