U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL INVITES CRO TO FINANCE LOCAL ADMINISTRATION IN DANUBIAN AREA

IN DANUBIAN AREA WASHINGTON, August 7 (Hina) - The financing of the U.N. Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem (UNTAES) was discussed on Tuesday by the U.N. Security Council at an informal meeting in New York. Security Council President Tono Eitel told reporters after the meeting that he had invited the charge d'affaires of Croatia's Mission at the U.N., Ambassador Vladimir Drobnjak, to express the Council's hope that Croatia would fulfill its obligations in relation to the financing of local administration in the Croatian Danubian area. In his monthly report on the implementation of the UNTAES mandate to the Security Council, released in New York on Tuesday, U.N. Secretary General Butros Gali evaluated that "the most urgent issue is to ensure the financing of local administration". Monthly costs of the work of local administration and public services amounted to more than USD 2 million. Gali suggested that the Security Council discuss whether it was ready to designate its intention to extend UNTAES' mandate up to 12 months at this moment. "Considering the current situation in the region...it seems unreal to expect that UNTAES's duties will be completed by the expiry of its current mandate", Gali said. The report also said that, according to the U.N. mission, the earliest possible date for elections in eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem was late February or early March of next year. The Croatian government had proposed that elections take place in December this year. In his report Gali also pointed out that it was important to encourage the Croatian government to improve its Amnesty Law and that local Serbs should be reminded that it was in their interest to fully cooperate with UNTAES in efforts to achieve peace in the whole former Yugoslavia. (hina) ha mm 071357 MET aug 96