TALKS ON SECURITY MEASURES IN FORMER YUGOSLAVIA OPEN IN VIENNA

VIENNA, Jan 4 (Hina) - Two conferences opened in Vienna on Thursday to discuss the implementation of confidence-building and arms control measures in the former Yugoslavia in line with a peace agreement initialled in Dayton, Ohio, and signed in Paris last month. The conferences were held under the auspices of the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and were a continuation of talks that had taken place in Bonn on December 18 last year. One conference involves representatives of the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Bosnian Moslem-Croat Federation and the Bosnian Serb Republic and is chaired by Istvan Gyarmati of Hungary. Its purpose is to create confidence and security in Bosnia- Herzegovina, including arms control, notification of military activities, exchange of hitherto confidential military data and exchange of liaison officers. Under the Dayton peace agreement, the Bosnian parties are to agree on these issues within 45 days after the signing of the peace agreement. The other conference, chaired by Vigleik Eide of Norway, also involves representatives of Serb-led Yugoslavia and Croatia. The Croatian delegation is led by Assistant Foreign Minister Ivan Simonovic. The aim of this conference is to establish a military balace between the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (Serbia and Montenegro), Bosnia-Herzegovina and Croatia at a 5-2-2 ratio, including the reduction of heavy weapons and military personnel levels. The balance of power between two entitities comprising the Republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina - the Croat-Moslem Federation and the Serb Republic - should be achieved at a 2-1 ratio in the Federation's favour. The Dayton agreement stipulates that an agreement on this issue should be reached not later than 180 days after its signing in Paris. (hina) vm mm 041420 MET jan 96