UNPROFOR: CROAT-MUSLIM TRUCE MAINLY RESPECTED

ZAGREB, March 8 (Hina) - UNPROFOR intends to open the Tuzla airport as soon as possible, but the exact date could not be set yet, said the UN Spokesperson Matthew Nerzig at today's press conference at the Zagreb UN HQ. Yesterday afternoon, 100 soldiers from the Nordic battalion with nine tanks took control over Tuzla airport previously held by Muslims. The truce in Sarajevo is being maintained apart from minor breaches. The situation in Central Bosnia is similar, and the Croat and Muslim sides have been agreeing over technical details in the maintainig of the ceasefire. Two Spanish battalion units should be deployed today in Mostar on both sides of the river Neretva in order to monitor the truce, the spokesperson said. Nerzig expressed concern over the situation in Maglaj, which was recently pronounced a protected area by UN Security Council. The UN presently has no available troops to deploy in this town, he said. UNHCR will try to send a convoy to Maglaj, a town which has not received any kind of humanitarian relief since October last year, Nerzig added. As far as the situation in the Croatian UNPAs, Nerzig said that yesterday's course of events in Sector South was disturbing yesterday, but that the situation improved during the night. 081438 MET mar 94