ARTICLE 11 COMMISSION AMBASSADORS VISIT DEMINING CENTRE IN SISAK

( Editorial: --> 8193 ) SISAK, Oct 14 (Hina) - Ambassadors of the Article 11 Commission on Tuesday visited the Croatian government's Mine-Clearing Centre in Sisak, central Croatia. The ambassadors discussed the Centre's activities and organisation, mine-clearing plans and problems in their implementation, with Centre head Damir Gorseta and associates. Gorseta informed the guests that between one million and 1.2 million mines and explosive devices were planted on ten percent of Croatian territory. Mine-clearing is one of Croatia's great problems, he said, explaining that with the state budget's current expenditures for mine-clearing and the current tempo of implementation, the process would be completed only in some 15 years. Gorseta called on the international community to put more effort in supporting mine-clearing in Croatia. He added the Mine-Clearing Centre had prepared 101 projects for demining 42 square km of territory to be presented at an upcoming conference on reconstruction and development. The Article 11 Commission, in charge of supervising the implementation of the Erdut Agreement, a basic agreement on eastern Croatia, is composed of ambassadors or high representatives of member-countries of the Contact Group, the UN Security Council, countries which took part in the former UN transitional administration of eastern Croatia, and mission heads of international organisations which were or are active in eastern Croatia. (hina) ha 141127 MET oct 98