PERRY VISITS U.S. TROOPS IN TUZLA

TUZLA, Nov 28 (Hina) - U.S. Defence Secretary William Perry, Thursday visited American troops serving with the NATO-led IFOR in Bosnia, to celebrate together Thanksgiving Day. Perry toured U.S. soldiers at the military base 'Dobol' near Tuzla. He held a short meeting with the IFOR Sector North commander General Montgomery Meigs at the Sector North command at the Tuzla airport, and then he met the Russian Deputy Defence Minister General Vladimir Toparov at the Dobol military base. Addressing American soldiers at the Dobol base Perry said he was proud of and satisfied with the success of the NATO's first mission in Bosnia-Herzegovina and with cooperation between Russian and American troops in Sector North. Perry said that a new mission in Bosnia would begin officially on December 20, involving 31,000 troops from 25 countries. The U.S. Defence Secretary envisaged that the new 18-month- long mission would be more devoted to implementation of civilian provisions of the Dayton peace accords. NATO commander for Europe, General George Joulwan, who accompanied Perry, said that the NATO would make official decisions on the mandate of the new Stabilization Force (SFOR) mission. Perry was also accompanied by IFOR Commander General Crouch. (hina) mš 282010 MET nov 96