CROATIA SIGNS CONVENTION ON MINE BAN

( Editorial: --> 5980 ) OTTAWA, Dec 4 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivo Sanader on Thursday signed, on behalf of Croatia, a convention binding states to completely cease the production of anti-personnel mines, to destroy their reserves within four years, and to clear all planted mines within ten years. "The Republic of Croatia is neither a producer nor an exporter or importer of mines, and it has attributed great significance to the issue of their abolishment since the very beginning of the 'Ottawa Process'," Sanader said. He added that about three million mines had been planted in Croatia and, together with neighbouring Bosnia-Herzegovina, thereby made the list of countries with the largest number of mines. More than 700 people, mostly civilians, became victims of exploding mines in Croatia. The area in which mines were laid was estimated to be about 1,300 square kilometres, which caused a lot of problems, especially in mainly agricultural regions such as eastern Slavonia. In 1996, 160 square kilometres were cleared of mines. "It is important to stress that almost all the financial burden of mine removal fell on Croatia. The financial support of the international community would be, thus, not just welcome, but also necessary for an effective realisation of the process," Sanader said. According to information from the United Nations, this organisation had contributed US$3.1 million towards mine removal in Croatia from 1994 to 1997, and the European Union is expected to add another US$1.8 million. Croatia's needs, according to UN assessments, would reach US$15 million in 1997 alone, and US$20 million in 1998, and, according to the most optimistic assessments, the mine removal process would last about a dozen years. (hina) lm mm 041901 MET dec 97