E.U. SUPPORTS EFFORTS TO NORMALIZE SITUATION IN MOSTAR

SARAJEVO, March 27 (Hina) - The European Union supported requests for the normalisation of the situation in Mostar submitted by the Office of the high international representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina to the Croat and Bosniac sides. The statement on behalf of the EU was publicised by the Dutch embassy in Sarajevo on Thursday. The EU expressed serious concern about the way in which the trial of west Mostar police officers was conducted. The officers were suspected of shooting during the incident of 10 February when a person was killed and some twenty wounded. The EU held that their trial should have been conducted according to national and international norms to which the Bosnian Federation had committed to respect. The EU Presidency stressed in its statement that the three west Mostar police officers would be forbidden to enter EU member countries and that the list of undesirable persons could be expanded if necessary. The EU hailed Canada's decision to follow this example and other countries were called on to do the same. The statement recalled that the EU rejected and condemned the conduct of the president of the Herzegovina Canton government, Mijo Brajkovic, at the recent ceremony of the reopening of the aluminium plant in Mostar. (hina) lm 271832 MET mar 97