WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Hina) - Member countries of the Contact Group have in the past few days been discussing the UNTAES mandate.
WASHINGTON, Nov 7 (Hina) - Member countries of the Contact Group
have in the past few days been discussing the UNTAES mandate. #L#
A draft resolution on the extension of the UNTAES mandate
could be presented to the UN Security Council by the end of this
week at the earliest, diplomatic sources said, adding that a vote
on the issue could take place as early as next week.
The Contact group member countries are expected to support the
recent suggestion of the UN Secretary-General Boutros Gali about
the extension of the UNTAES mandate for six months, which would be
followed by a monitoring mission.
UNTAES troops are expected to remain in Croatia in their
present composition until elections in the Croatian Danubian area,
and their withdrawal should begin within four months after the
elections.
The date of elections has not been set, and judging from last
month's report of the UN Secretary-General, the date would depend
primarily on an agreement among the Croatian government, UNTAES and
local Serb representatives on political, administrative and
technical issues.
According to Boutros Gali, the Transitional Administrator
Jacques Klein had set himself the goal of completing the main
UNTAES tasks by early Spring, with the hand-over of the region to
Croatian control to take place by early Summer at the latest, which
was in accord with the request of the Croatian government about the
completion of the mandate according to the three plus three
formula.
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