UNPROFOR HOLDS TALKS WITH CROATIA'S SERB REBELS IN KNIN

ZAGREB, Nov 8 (Hina) - The deputy commander of UN Protection Force (UNPROFOR) in former Yugoslavia, Canadian General Ray Crabbe, and the deputy head of the UNPROFOR civilian affairs in former Yugoslavia, Vladislav Garasev, on Monday held talks with representatives of Serb rebels in Knin, UN Protection Area of Croatia. They discussed possibilities for UNPROFOR travelling to the Bihac pocket (western Bosnia) through territories under control of Serbs from UNPAs of Croatia, a UNPROFOR spokesman, Michael Williams, said at a press conference today in Zagreb. At the Knin meeting UNPROFOR officials also lodged a severe protest with the Serbs due to their shelling of the Bihac pocket from the Croatian occupied areas from 27 October to 4 November. Serbs on Sunday prevented UNPROFOR commander for Bosnia British General Michael Rose to visit Bihac. They did not let him pass UNPA Sector North on route to this western Bosnian city, Williams told journalists. The medicines shortage represented one of the most serious problems in grave situation in the western Bosnia, he said. UNPROFOR officials Crabbe and Garasev asked the Serb representatives in Knin to give clearance for a free passage of a Bihac-bound convoy with medical supplies, which was due to depart from Zagreb at noon today. No shillings of the Bihac pocket had been registered from the occupied areas of Croatia since last Friday, Williams said. At the Knin meeting Crabbe and Garasev also discussed information that Serb rebels' forces from UNPAs of Croatia participated in military operations in neighbouring Bosnia. UNPROFOR was worried because of this fact. But, it could not determine the exact number of the Croatia's Serb rebels who took part in clashes in Bosnia because of its difficult access to the Bihac pocket, Williams said adding that the number was "relatively small". He announced a new meeting of expert commissions of the Croatian Government and Croatian rebel Serbs from UNPAs for Thursday or Friday in Erdut, UNPA Sector East. The talks should focus on the oil issue. (hina) mms 081543 MET nov 94