PRESS CONFERENCE ON SITUATION IN U.N. SECTOR WEST

NOVA GRADISKA, Feb 24 (Hina) - The UN Protection Force in Sector West would continue conducting its mission until March 31, at the same time preparing for its withdrawal, UN Sector West spokeswoman Susan Manuel today told a press conference in Nova Gradiska. She added that if the Croatian government and local Serb authorities from Knin reached agreement, the UN Security Council would decide wether UNPROFOR would stay and with what mandate. Manuel said that the economic agreement ceased being implemented in Sector West. A stretch of the railway passing through the Sector had been disposed of mines so that now it was possible to begin repair works which would cost about 20 million US dollars. No progress was made in the restoration of water supplies. Manuel denied media reports that Serbs had delivered an ultimatum to UNPROFOR demanding their heavy weapons back. Sector West was the only UN-protected area where Serbs had placed their weapons under UN supervision. They were stored at seven collection sites to which both the UN and Serbs had keys, Manuel said. She added that the Serbs had asked but not threatened to be allowed to maintain their weapons and UNPROFOR did not agree to it. UNPROFOR informed Serb authorities in Okucani of a request by displaced people now staying in Nova Gradiska to visit their villages in the Serb-held area. The request was passed on to the Serb headquarters of Knin where it was officially rejected, Manuel said. (hina) mm vm 241515 MET feb 95