WESTENDORP BACKS PROPOSAL ON INCREASED HAGUE TRIBUNAL PRESENCE

MOSTAR, Aug 26 (Hina) - International High Representative Carlos Westendorp on Tuesday supported a proposal by British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook that the Hague-based international war crimes tribunal should increase its presence in the areas of Bosnia-Herzegovina where there are indicted war criminals in order to speed up their trial. That's a good idea, Westendorp told a news conference in the southern town of Mostar, adding that a decision on this complicated issue must be made by the tribunal. During his visit to Mostar, Westendorp met for talks with head of the Herzegovina-Neretva canton Fatima Leho and her deputy Pero Markovic, and Mostar mayor Ivan Prskalo and his deputy Safet Orucevic. After that, Westendorp toured the town. The High Representatives said that the local officials had pledged they would do all they could to ensure adoption of an amendment to the cantonal constitution on August 29 and establishment of a joint Croat-Moslem police force. He warned that the Forum of the Federation had agreed several times that a joint police force would be set up in the canton and that the amendment to the cantonal constitution would be adopted. Westendorp stressed that this would have to be implemented because Mostar and the Herzegovina-Neretva canton were crucial for the success of the Federation, adding that the success of Bosnia-Herzegovina depended on the success of the Moslem-Croat Federation. Promising that he would do all he could to help in the economic reconstruction of Mostar, Westendorp noted that the town needed not only economic but spiritual reconstruction as well. (hina) vm 262058 MET aug 97