BUILDING OF DANUBE-SAVA CANAL TO COMMENCE SOON - COUNTY PREFECT

( Editorial: --> 1618 ) VINKOVCI, June 16 (Hina) - The building of a Danube-Sava canal in eastern Croatia should begin in the next two months, Vukovar-Srijem County prefect Rudolf Koenig told Hina Tuesday. "We are completing the preliminary work and I expect the building of the canal could start in the next two months, this year certainly", Koenig said. The first section of the canal would stretch from Vukovar to Nustar, and the works should be carried out by the Croatian army. The Danube-Sava canal is a constituent part of a transport route from eastern Croatia to the Adriatic coastline which is of strategic importance to Croatia and connects central Europe with the Adriatic Sea. The waterway-railway combination route will stretch for 560km and will comprise the 61,5km Danube-Sava canal from Vukovar to Slavonski Samac, 340km along the Sava river and the 160km double- track railroad Rijeka-Zagreb. It is expected the canal could realise a seven million-tonne annual commodity exchange, including at least 50 per cent international participation. (hina) ha jn 161853 MET jun 98