COUNTY DEFENCE DEPARTMENT CHIEFS MEET IN VUKOVAR

( Editorial: --> 5893 ) VUKOVAR, May 22 (Hina) - Chiefs of county defence departments and Defence Ministry representatives on Friday in Vukovar held a meeting devoted to restructuring and rationalisation of defence department in the peace-time period. The restructuring of the Defence Ministry and Croatian Army could be completed this year, said assistant to the Defence Minister, Brigadier General Marinko Kresic. "Our commitment is to a small and efficient army with small and efficient defence departments, with less bureaucracy and more work," Kresic declared. He announced that the Vukovar county defence department would this autumn be moved to Vukovar from Vinkovci, where the county administration bodies were accommodated during the occupation of Vukovar. Kresic also said that records of army conscripts were being compiled in the Croatian Danube River region. "Even though a moratorium on military service in the Croatian Army for members of Serb minority is in force until 15 January 2000, so far 77 youths of Serb nationality from this territory have nevertheless expressed a wish to serve in the Croatian Army. Of that number seven youths are from Beli Manastir, five from Vukovar while the others are from other parts of the Croatian Danube River region," said Kresic. (hina) jn mrb/as 221820 MET may 98