CROATIAN ARMY COMMANDER WRITES TO U.N. COMMANDER IN EAST CROATIA

OSIJEK, April 6 (Hina) - The Croatian army commander for the Osijek military zone, Major General Djuro Decak, today sent a letter to the commander of UN peacekeepers in the former Sector East, Major General Alexander Peralyakin, warning that rebel Serbs had failed to withdraw their heavy weapons in line with the ceasefire agreement. "I support your proposal for the joint commission to meet as soon as possible but before that I expect a reply from you, which we have been awaiting for eleven months, guranteeing that Serb weapons have been withdrawn, in accordance with the Zagreb agreement, to storage sites defined by this agreement." Decak reminded the Russian general that earlier agreements by the Joint Commission did not result in the observance of the 29 March 1994 ceasefire agreement and that heavy weapons had not been withdrawn by 1 May and 12 June last year. On the contrary, by intensifying their military activities, rebel Serbs violated all provisions of the said agreement, Decak stressed. He said that the UN tolerated Serb 'military exercises' which were conducted in the immediate vicinity of separation lines. Decak asked Peralyakin about motives behind his decision last May to allow Serb insurgents to carry out military exercises. He recalled that in a letter informing the Croatian army of that decision, Peralyakin had used terms showing that he recognized the legality of the self-styled Serb entity which is denied in all UN documents. Decak stressed that the concentration of heavy weapons in the occupied part of eastern Croatia was very large and detrimental to the peace process. Decak called on Peralyakin to use all his influence to help bring about the withdrawal of heavy weapons so that peace talks could resume as soon as possible. "But please do not expect another unrealistic compromise on our part as long as these weapons are aimed at our homes," the letter concluded. (hina) jn vm 062048 MET apr 95