GENERAL SCHOUPS TAKES OFFICE AS UNTAES COMMANDER

KLISA, Jan 15 (Hina) - The new commander of the UN Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem (UNTAES), Major General Willy Hanset officially took up office from the former UNTAES commander Major General Joseph Schoups in the Osijek airport Klisa on Wednesday. Present at the ceremony were head of the Croatian government Office of the Temporary Administration Ivica Vrkic and representatives of the European Monitoring Mission. #L# Schoups thanked the military and civilian UNTAES personnel for their contribution in the implementation of the UN mandate in the Croatian Danube river region. Your commitment, professionalism and reliability impressed and enabled the implementation of all planned programmes for the peaceful reintegration of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem into the Republic of Croatia, Schoups said, expressing his wish that the UNTAES mission would progress successfully in 1997 as it had last year. Transitional Administrator Jacques Klein thanked Schoups for his professional performing of duties, and described Shoups's role in the demilitarization of the UNTAES- administered area as the most important. Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic had stressed that the stability which had been brought by demilitarization had been crucial for the normalization of relations and the establishment of permanent peace between their countries, Klein said. Hanset expressed conviction that the UNTAES mission would be completed as had been envisaged by the Erdut Agreement and the UN Security Council Resolution 1037, adding that his priority task would be to ensure the security of the local population and of the UNTAES military and civilian component. I hope that I shall be able to invite you to another celebration in several months, but it will be a celebration of peace which will arrive in the region at last, Hanset said. (hina) lm mm 151743 MET jan 97