GEN MICHAEL WALKER TO VISIT MOSTAR

ZAGREB, Jan 9 (Hina) - The commander of the IFOR ground forces, General Michael Walker, announced that he would visit Mostar because of the tense situation in the city, an IFOR spokesman told a press conference in Zagreb today. #L# The commander of the IFOR joint operational centre in Zagreb, the U.S. Navy Captain Leonard Capello described the situation in the city as very tense, stressing it was one of the most important issues the European Union administration, IFOR and the high representative of the international community for Bosnia- Herzegovina, Carl Bildt, were dealing with. The implementation of the rest of the peace agreement was satisfactory, Capello said, stressing that the deployment of the international implementation force was running according to the plan. More than 30,000 IFOR troops had arrived in Bosnia- Herzegovina and together with logistic forces in neighbouring countries, including Croatia, there were 35,000 IFOR soldiers, Captain Capello said. All NATO member-states were now present in the international Implementation Force, and there were also soldiers from several countries that were not NATO members, but which contributed their soldiers for the operation, Capello added. Russian troops in Bosnia-Herzegovina, which would also take part in the NATO operation, would be deployed in the area called 'Northern Multinational District'. The Russian advance party had already arrived in Tuzla, and the rest was expected to arrive in next several days, Capello said. 'We have agreed that the Russian force would act together with the American force, and that they would have joint tactical control, but as regards the operational control conditions would be somewhat different', Capello explained, adding it still had not been decided which part of the peace plan implementation the Russian soldiers would be in charge of. (hina) rm mm 091918 MET jan 96