SPECULATIONS ABOUT FRIDAY'S ARBITRATION DECISION ABOUT BRCKO

SARAJEVO/ROME, Feb 13 (Hina) - Expecting the decision of the International Arbitration Tribunal about the status of Brcko, whose official announcement is expected in Rome on Friday, SFOR troops have intensified their control over the town. Regarding the issue, the Sarajevo radio on Thursday reiterated several times the news of Bosnia-Herzegovina Press that Catim Sadikovic, who is representing the Bosnian Federation at the Arbitration Tribunal, had expressed numerous criticisms at the draft solution forwarded to him from the office of the chief arbiter Robert Owen, and that during their two meetings, they had not reached an agreement. A representative of the US Embassy in Rome which organized the meeting between the arbiters and witnesses at a Roman hotel, told reporters that the decision of the Arbitration Tribunal would be announced in Rome on Friday afternoon. He refused to comment on unofficial information that Brcko would allegedly "remain in Republika Srpska". The information was aired by the France Presse agency (AFP) in Rome, citing unnamed "informed diplomatic sources". According to AFP, Brcko would be put under temporary administration of an American supervisor, while the Arbitration Tribunal would retain its right to reach the final decision within a year at the most. The return of Croat and Moslem refugees to Brcko has been envisaged. A representative of the Italian Foreign Ministry also did not want to comment on the information, adding that Friday's official announcement of the final decision should be heard so as to avoid its "direct or indirect presentation". Bosnian Ambassador in Rome Veljko Kraljevic also said that we should wait for the official announcement about the arbitration. (hina) lm jn 131636 MET feb 97