MINE-CLEARING CENTRE HEAD ON CONFERENCE & MINE-CLEARERS' PROTEST

ZAGREB, June 30 (Hina) - Speaking about a regional conference on mines which closed in Zagreb on Tuesday, the head of the Croatian Mine-Clearing Centre Damir Gorseta told reporters Croatia had in some way confirmed its leading role in mine-clearing in the region. "High mine-clearing technologies will be brought to Croatia," Gorseta told reporters on Tuesday, adding some American, British, and Swedish projects will be tested on Croatian testing grounds. Gorseta said Croatia would assist in the establishment of a national centre for mine-clearing in Kosovo, by training experts, pyrotechnists, and cadets in armies of countries in the region. He stressed Croatia firmly respected the Ottawa convention on the prohibition of anti-personnel mines and undertaken obligations, as evidenced by the annihilation of part of antipersonnel mines from Croatian army supplies. Gorseta also spoke about a protest employees of mine-clearing company "Mungos" staged on Tuesday before the Zagreb hotel which hosted the mines conference. Gorseta said he was familiar with the reasons behind the protest. "We checked their projects and issued a receipt to the state treasury to deliver their paycheques," he said, adding there obviously existed difficulties in influx of money. "It will be settled this week," he added. Commenting on remarks referring to the low price of mine-clearing, Gorseta said the pyrotechnists' price is market-determined. (hina) ha