OSCE: MILITARY EXPENDITURE IN SOUTH-EAST EUROPE MUST BE REDUCED

SARAJEVO, June 22 (Hina) - The three-man Presidency of Bosnia- Herzegovina has submitted to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) statements confirming that military forces in the country are receiving foreign help, however, concrete information about the amounts spent for military purposes are still concealed, deputy head of the OSCE Mission in Bosnia, General Bjoern Karlsson, said in Sarajevo on Tuesday. Speaking at a news conference, Karlsson, who is in charge of regional stability, confirmed that only part of information on military assistance the three sides were receiving had been exchanged at a meeting of the Joint Commission for Consultations, held in Vienna. Karlsson said the exchange of information was only the first step in achieving significant reduction of military forces in the region. In line with conclusions of a conference on regional stability, held in March this year, Ante Jelavic, Alija Izetbegovic and Zivko Radisic signed statements confirming that the two components of the Federation army and the Republika Srpska army were regularly receiving help from abroad. Jelavic's statement confirms that the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) receives help from foreign countries but no other details are revealed. Izetbegovic stated that the Federation Army had been receiving assistance through the "Equip and Train" programme from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Malaysia and Brunei, under supervision and with donations in the form of military equipment and weapons by the United States. Military training was additionally provided by Turkey, Pakistan, Germany and Italy, Izetbegovic said. The Serb member of the Presidency, Zivko Radisic, stated that parts of the salaries of active members of the Bosnian Serb army were being provided by the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, because the army was considered to be part of the former Yugoslav People's Army (JNA). Radisic also confirmed that Bosnian Serb army officers were being trained at Yugoslav military academies and that some courses were organised in Germany. Gen. Karlsson said the OSCE had its own estimates about the military expenditure in Bosnia-Herzegovina, however, he did not want to speak about them. It is a duty to be carried out by the three sides in the country, Karlsson said, adding the sides owed that to the public. He also told reporters they would be surprised if they saw the figures. The 1999 budget, adopted by the Parliament and the Government of the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina amounts to just below US$900 million, of which 400 million have been set aside for military expenditure. Federation's Defence Minister Miroslav Prce has repeatedly warned that the Federation army needs at least one billion German marks annually. The approved amount can hardly cover the salaries of active army members, Prce believes. The Defence Ministry recently suggested that military forces in the whole south-east Europe be significantly reduced for a period of five to seven years. In an interview in today's issue of the Sarajevo daily "Dnevni avaz", Robert Barry, head of the OSCE Mission in Bosnia, said the military forces in the country should be reduced to territorial defence units which would not be allowed to use heavy weapons. (hina) rml