U.S. & SFOR MILITARY DELEGATION VISITS RIJEKA

( Editorial: --> 9729 ) RIJEKA, July 24 (Hina) - A military delegation of the United States and the NATO-led Stabilisation Force (SFOR) on Friday visited the northern Adriatic port of Rijeka where they held a closed meeting with the top officials of Primorje-Gorski Kotar County and Rijeka. The meeting focused on a plan for using Rijeka's harbour and airport, on nearby Krk Island, for the transfer of SFOR's military cargo. The reason why formerly used routes across Hungary and Germany were abandoned is in demonstrating the operational capability that it may be done through Rijeka as well, said the head of the whole operation, commander of the USAREUR's 21st logistics headquarters for Europe General Charles Mahan. Mahan said a ship with SFOR's cargo would most probably enter Rijeka's harbour on August 23, carrying some 300 containers with about 1,500 pieces of equipment and 44 helicopters, which will be unloading the cargo over four days. The cargo will be transferred to the airport on Krk, where the equipment will be put together and tested and then taken to Bosnia- Herzegovina, alongside other equipment and material. The transfer from Rijeka's harbour to the Krk airport will take place exclusively at night in order to avoid disturbing tourism. Even most of the 275 soldiers and civilians partaking in the operation will be confined to the harbour and the airport. The transfer operation will be preceded by week-long preparations. After the operation is completed, part of the participants will remain in Rijeka and on Krk Island until the facilities they will be using are restored to their pre-operation state. Mahan thanked the local authorities for their support and cooperation. Primorje-Gorski Kotar County Prefect Milivoj Brozina was satisfied with the fact that the operation would contribute to normalising the situation in Bosnia, as well as providing economic and promotional benefits for the Rijeka area. Rijeka Mayor Slavko Linic said the SFOR operation was a very important confirmation of the significance of Rijeka's harbour and airport and of Rijeka's transport route. (hina) ha jn 242053 MET jul 98