HVO CHIEF-OF-STAFF RECEIVES ADMIRAL SMITH

POSUSJE, Feb 6 (Hina) - The head of the Croatian Defence Council (HVO) headquarters, Major General Zivko Budimir received the commander of the international Implementation Force (IFOR) in Bosnia-Herzegovina, Admiral Leighton Smith, in Posusje today. This was the first visit of Admiral Smith to the HVO. #L# After the meeting, Budimir and Smith told reporters that they had discussed the implementation of the Dayton agreement. Both officials described the cooperation between HVO and IFOR as very good. The military part of the peace agreement was being implemented much better than it had been expected and much speedier than the civil part, Admiral Smith said, adding he was very satisfied with the cooperation between IFOR and HVO. Major General Budimir said that one of the topics at the meeting had been the return of Croats to Odzak (Bosanska Posavina region), which under the Dayton agreement belonged to the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. They had also discussed the construction of a pontoon bridge across the Sava river so that Croats could return to Odzak, as well as the opening of a ferry- line across the Sava, Budimir said. (hina) rm mm 061258 MET feb 96