SPANISH TROOPS CELEBRATE THEIR NATIONAL HOLIDAY IN MOSTAR

MOSTAR, Oct 12 (Hina) - Spanish troops, serving with NATO-led international peace force in Bosnia-Herzegovina (IFOR), marked their national holiday on Saturday by a military parade at Espana Square in Mostar. Spanish State Secretary of Defence Pedro Morenes Eualte hoisted a Spanish flag at the very beginning of the parade. He also decorated IFOR Sector South-East commander General Xavier de Lambert and other nine Spaniards with military medals of the Kingdom of Spain for their contribution to the IFOR mission in Bosnia. Accompanied by Spanish General Luis Carvajal Riggio and French General de Lambert, Spanish Defence Secretary laid wreaths at Espana Square paying honours to 17 Spanish soldiers who died in the four-year-long UN mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina. (hina) mš 121945 MET oct 96