UN SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS OBSERVER MANDATE ON PREVLAKA

( Editorial: --> 7914 ) WASHINGTON, July 15 (Hina) - The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday decided to extend the mandate of UN military observers on Prevlaka for six months and called on Croatia and Yugoslavia to reach a solution on the disputed peninsula through negotiations. In its resolution, the Security Council noted it was "deeply concerned at the lack of significant progress" towards a resolution to the Prevlaka issue and called on Croatia and Yugoslavia to "engage promptly and constructively in negotiations." The resolution also expressed the Security Council's concern at violations of the demilitarisation regime and called on the parties to cease all violations of this regime and to complete promptly the demining of the area. The Security Council also called on the parties "to take further steps to reduce tension and improve safety and security in the area." In the resolution, the Security Council recalled a joint declaration the Presidents of Croatia and Yugoslavia signed in Geneva on September 30, 1992, and especially Article 3, which reaffirmed their agreement on the demilitarisation of Prevlaka. The Council also recalled a Croatian-Yugoslav agreement on the normalisation on relations, signed in Belgrade on August 23, 1996, by which the two parties committed to find a peaceful solution to the Prevlaka issue. The resolution noted a "positive assessment in the Secretary- General's report of recent developments, including the initiative by the Republic of Croatia's (S/1998/533, Annex) for a final resolution of the disputed issue of Prevlaka", and also noted the Yugoslav proposal. The resolution reaffirmed the Security Council's commitment to the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of Croatia within its internationally recognised borders. The Secretary-General was requested to submit a new report on the status of the negotiations on the resolution of the Prevlaka issue to the Security Council by October 15, so that the future of observers on Prevlaka could be determined. (hina) ha 152111 MET jul 98