AGREEMENT ON EXCHANGE OF POWS BETWEEN CROATS AND SERBS

MEDJUGORJE, March 11 (Hina/HABENA) - A meeting of the joint commission for the prisoners-of-war exchange was held today between Croat, Moslem and Serb representatives in the Spanish UN battalion's base in Medjugorje, southern Bosnia-Herzegovina. At the Medjugorje meeting the Croat and Serb sides agreed on exchanging war prisoners on March 24, at Donji Zemunik near Zadar, southern Croatia, the head of the Herzeg-Bosnian office for the POWs exchange and the search for the missing persons, Berislav Pusic, said on Saturday evening. At the exchange each side should release at least 87 persons, Pusic was quoted by the Herzeg-Bosnian news agency HABENA as saying. The Croat and Serb sides also agreed on including in the forthcoming exchange all persons which might be captured from the day when this deal was signed (March 11) until March 24. The two sides also pledged to answer about other persons who are on the lists of missing persons. The two sides committed themselves to submit lists of persons for the scheduled exchange to International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) officials by 14 March. Following the POWs exchange the delivery and the exchange of dead persons should be carried out, Pusic added. The agreement on the 24 March POWs exchange was signed by Berislav Pusic on behalf of Herzeg-Bosnia's side, Ivan Grujic on behalf of Croatia's side, and by Dragan Bulajic as the Serb side's representative. (hina) mms 112133 MET mar 95