IFOR MINESWEEPERS ENTER SPLIT HARBOUR

SPLIT, Feb 20 (Hina) - Four IFOR minesweepers, three Italian and one Greek, arrived in the harbour of the southern Croatian city of Split on Tuesday. The commander of the fleet, Italian Lieutenant Commander Ivano Bascieri, said he was pleased with a reception given by the Croatian Navy. "We are very pleased with the reception by the Croatian Navy this morning. The purpose of our visit is to bring the Croatian Navy closer to NATO and meetings like this will make our efforts more successful," Bascieri said. The IFOR crew would stay in Split for three days. (hina) vm mm 201217 MET feb 96