CROATIA, BOSNIA SIGN AGREEMENT ON RECONSTRUCTION OF BRIDGE ZUPANJA -ORASJE

-ORASJE ZUPANJA, June 14 (Hina) - Director of Croatian Roads company, Aleksandar Caklovic, director of the Bosnian Directorate for Reconstruction of Transport Projects, Kemal Karkin, and director of the Slavonski brod- based "Montaza d.d.", Vlatko Bekic, signed in Zupanja on Saturday an agreement between Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina about the reconstruction and construction of the destroyed bridge across the Sava river between Zupanja (eastern Croatia) and Orasje (Bosnia-Herzegovina). Croatian Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa and Bosnian Prime Minister Hasan Muratovic had in Sarajevo last year signed a memorandum of understanding, for the joint construction of traffic connections between the two countries. The bridge connecting Zupanja and Orasje is the first out of six destroyed bridges across Sava and three across the river Una which are to be reconstructed and opened for traffic. When it is completed, within a period of 465 days, the bridge will contribute not only to connecting people of the two neighbouring countries, but also as a stimulus to Croatian and Bosnian economy because of facilitated trade of goods and services, Caklovic said. The money for the reconstruction of the bridge (about 55 million kuna) have been set aside by Croatia and Bosnia, through the loan of the World Bank. Present at the signing on Saturday were special Croatian President's envoy for the Bosnian Federation and Bosnia-Herzegovina Franjo Greguric, Croatian Ambassador to Bosnia-Herzegovina, Bozidar Bago, Bosnian Ambassador to Croatia, Kasim Trnka, high government officials from Croatia and the Bosnian Federation and others. 141603 MET jun 97