VINKOVCI-GABOS-OSIJEK ROAD REOPENED AFTER SIX YEARS

NUSTAR/OSTROVO, Jan 24 (Hina) - The Vinkovci-Gabos-Osijek road in eastern Croatia was formally reopened on Friday after nearly a six- year break because of the war. A ribbon-cutting ceremony was attended by UN Transitional Administrator Jacques Klein, head of the Croatian government office for the UN-administered region Ivica Vrkic and Vukovar County prefect Vlado Osust. This is another important step in the process of peaceful reintegration of the region, and there'll be more of them in the coming months, US General Klein said. "A key to the reintegration lies in economic reconstruction, which can happen only if people can move freely round the area. This road has led to nowhere and now it leads to the end of the peaceful reintegration," Vrkic said. The road will be open only to passenger vehicles from 7 am to 5 pm and will be controlled by the Transitional Police Force and UNTAES patrols. Vrkic said that at first vehicles would travel in convoys for psychological and security reasons. (hina) vm mm 241353 MET jan 97