EQUIP & TRAIN PROGRAMME EXPECTED TO CONTINUE

( Editorial: --> 0537 ) SARAJEVO, June 11 (Hina) - The United States' special envoy for military stabilisation in the Balkans, James Pardew, announced on Thursday that progress has been achieved in solving open questions which caused last week's suspension of the "Equip and Train" programme in the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina Army. In a statement received today by Hina in Sarajevo, Pardew confirmed that during the last two days he met with the Federation Defence Minister and his deputy as well as with other government officials with whom he discussed the implementation of the US-sponsored programme for equipping and training the Federation Army. Significant progress has been made in the solution of remaining questions, especially those relating to flags which are allowed to be flown from military buildings, the US envoy said. Pardew stressed that the "Equip and Train" programme would continue to be implemented as soon as an agreement was formalised and fully accepted. The US Government last week officially suspended all activities on the equipping and training of the Federation Army units on Pardew's recommendation. This action was explained by the fact that the federal partners did not respect an earlier reached agreement on the introduction of uniform symbols for military units and the removal of national flags from all military buildings. The Bosniaks blamed the Croat side for this situation but the Federation Defence Minister Ante Jelavic rejected any responsibility emphasising that the question on the use of national flags can be solved only on the political level and not on the level of a federal ministry. The American side insists that only federal and BH state flags be flown from military buildings in the Croat-Muslim Federation. (hina) bag/rml 111849 MET jun 98