TOP OFFICIALS OPEN REBUILT BRIDGE CONNECTING E. CROATIA & N. BOSNIA

ORASJE, Dec 22 (Hina) - A newly-built bridge connecting eastern Croatia and northern Bosnia across the Sava River was opened on Tuesday. The bridge was opened by Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and members of Bosnia's collective Presidency, Ante Jelavic, Zivko Radisic, and third member Alija Izetbegovic's envoy, Bosnian Federation Premier Edhem Bicakcic. President Tudjman said the opening of the bridge was a great day in the connection of two parts of the same people from two sides of the border. "The opening of the bridge proves that we have entered peace-time," President Tudjman said. The steel road bridge, which connects Zupanja, eastern Croatia, and Orasje, in the Croat-Moslem Federation, one of Bosnia's two entities, is 790m long, and was built in cooperation between "Djuro Djakovic, a Croatian company based in Slavonski Brod, and the Transport Equipment Factory from Tuzla, Bosnia. Construction works began on August 7, 1997. The part of the bridge across the river is 304m long. The World Bank's US$6.5 million loan which financed the works will be paid in equal parts by Croatia and Bosnia. The Zupanja-Orasje bridge is the first connecting Croatia and the Bosnian Federation after the recent war, and the first to be rebuilt of six destroyed bridges across the Sava River and three across the Una River. The latter will be rebuilt and open for civilian transport in line with an agreement between Croatia and Bosnia. Also in attendance at today's opening were Croatia's Premier Zlatko Matesa, Foreign Minister Mate Granic, Defence Minister Pavao Miljavac, and other high-ranking officials, as well as representatives of the international community, NATO's peace Stabilisation Force, the diplomatic corps, and the World Bank. (hina) ha mm