THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL EXTENDS THE MANDATE OF THE PREVLAKA PEACE MISSION

( Editorial: --> 4232 ) Washington, 13 January (Hina)- On Tuesday the UN Security Council extended the mandate of 28 military observers at Prevlaka (a peninsula at the border of Croatia and Montenegro)for another six months. A technical resolution, adopted unanimously in New York, extends the mandate by 15 July this year and binds Secretary General to report on the situation at Prevlaka no later than 10 days before the end of the mandate. The resolution confirms the Security Council's commitment to sovereignty and territorial integrity of Croatia. The document refers to the Joint Declaration on the Respect of the Existing Borders, which was signed on 30 September 1992 by Presidents of Croatia and the FRY and especially to a decree on a voluntary withdrawal of the Yugoslav army from Prevlaka by 20 October 1992 and a negotiated resolution of the security problem in Boka Kotorska and Dubrovnik. The Council expressed concern about the lack of progress in negotiations on Prevlaka and called on Croatia and the FRY to immediately resume negotiations. Furthermore, the resolution calls on the parties to abstain from any kinds of violations of the demilitarised zone of Prevlaka. (Hina) mm mr 132011 MET jan 98