CROATIA'S EXPERIENCE IN MINE CLEARANCE TO BE USED IN KOSOVO

SISAK, June 7 (Hina) - Representatives of the Western European Union (WEU) Headquarters and the WEU mission to help Croatia in mine clearance (WEUDAM) on Monday visited the Croatian Centre for Mine Clearance (HCR) in Sisak, 50 kilometres south-east of Zagreb. They talked with the HCR head, Damir Gorseta, and the head of the department for the humanitarian mine removal, Mirko Ivanusic, on the assistance for the humanitarian mine clearance in Croatia and the usage the experience of the HRC, one of the world's best organised and effective centres, in drawing up projects for the humanitarian mine clearance in Kosovo. The head of the WEUDAM mission in Croatia, Swedish Colonel Olle Broman, said the WEU gave great importance to the humanitarian mine clearance in Croatia as one of most important conditions for returning the life to normal in war-affected areas of Croatia. WEU and WEUDAM will provide Croatia and the HRC with expert assistance, advice and education in planning, preparations, conduct and supervision of the humanitarian mine clearance as well as in the establishment of a digital map of the areas where mines have been cleansed, a data bank of mine fields and in the implementation of new procedures in removing explosive devices, in order to speed up the mine-sweeping process in Croatia. The HRC representatives notified the guests of Croatian experiences in setting up a system and conducting mine clearance procedures which WEU can use in the same job in Kosovo. UN Mines Centre described the Croatian system as the most complete in the world, Gorseta said. WEU and WEUDAM delegations toured sites in the Petrinja area where mines are being removed and got an inside into the effectiveness of the humanitarian mine clearance in Croatia. (hina) ms