SIMONOVIC COMMENTS ON PROPOSAL TO EXTEND UNMOP MANDATE

( Editorial: --> 2517 ) WASHINGTON, 5 Jan (Hina) - Croatia's Ambassador to the United Nations, Ivan Simonovic, described today's proposal by UN Secretary General Kofi Annan on extending the mandate of UN Military Observers on Prevlaka (UNMOP), with a simultaneous solution to the Prevlaka question through negotiations, as "conditionally acceptable" for Croatia. "The presence of UNMOP has contributed to stability and security, but so far, chain extensions of the mandate have not been accompanied by serious negotiations concerning a final solution. Another extension of the mandate has sense only if a permanent solution to the question of Prevlaka is found during this mandate," Simonovic said. He called for pressure to be exerted on Yugoslavia with the aim of its recognising Croatia's international borders in the area of Prevlaka as well. "In the end, Yugoslavia will benefit from it as well - there is increasing interest in Montenegro in finally setting up the border crossing of Debeli Brijeg and normalising the situation," the Croatian ambassador said. The UN resolution has "to state clearly that Prevlaka is part of the Republic of Croatia and that negotiations concerning the final solution to the question of security of Dubrovnik's hinterland and Boka Kotorska bay have to be based on the principle of respect for territorial integrity," Simonovic said. (hina) rm 052258 MET jan 98