JOINT MILITARY COMMISSION IN SOUTH BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA HOLDS SESSION

MOSTAR, July 22 (Hina) - The joint military commission of the (Croat-Moslem) Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Bosnian Serb entity (called Republic of Srpska) and NATO-led Stabilisation force (SFOR) in the zone covered by the SFOR Southeast Sector held a session in Mostar on Thursday to discuss problems and future cooperation in southern Bosnia-Herzegovina. The SFOR Southeast Sector multinational division commander, General Arnold Schwerdorffer, said they had talked about big problems in clearing mines and other explosive devices of the ground. They agreed on establishing a joint information system for monitoring weaponry and ammunition in arms depots in both entities, Schwerdorffer added. We also considered possibilities of conducting together civilian and military actions, this general said adding that it would be works to the benefit of the civilian population. Asked whether such actions can refer to possible arrests of war crimes suspects, Schwerdorffer said those things should not be mixed, as the apprehension of war criminals was not on the agenda of the joint military commission. The commander of the seventh corps of the Republic of Srpska, General Nikola Delic, confirmed they had not talked about the arrest of war crimes suspects. The commander of the Bosnian Federation's first corps, Brigadier General Nedzad Ajdanzic, refused to answer a reporter's question what the Moslem (Bosniak) component had done to make Mujaheedin leave Bosnia, saying he did not want to respond to the question. The commander of the first Croat guards corps within the Federation's Army, Major General Mijo Jelic Zlatan, announced that the armies of the Federation and the Serb entity would be soon reduced. He voiced hope that the "Equip and Train" programme for the federal army would soon resume, but the U.S. military agency MPRI, which is conducting the programme, should decide on that. (hina) ms