STATEMENT OF UNPROFOR ON CEASE-FIRE IN SECTOR EAST

ZAGREB, Nov 6 (Hina) - The UNPROFOR base in Zagreb issued on Friday a statement on the cease-fire agreement in Sector East. The statements reads:" Following an initiative of the UNPROFOR Commander in Sector East, Brigadier-General P. Peeters, the Commander Operative Zone Osijek, Major-General Djuro Decak, and the Commander of the Serb Slavonia Baranja Corps, Colonel Bogdan Sladojevic, met for the first time on 4 November 1993 at the Servas Nemetin Crossing. Under the auspicies of UNPROFOR, the Commanders agreed to a series of significant measures intended to promote stability and security in the Sector." "The meeting took place in a constructive atmosphere and concluded after 90 minutes of discussions with both parties signing a cease-fire agreement for Sector East effective from noon, Sunday, 7 Novmber," says the statement issued on Friday evening. "The significance of the agreement goes beyond the central cease-fire accord. It includes provisions crucial to UNPROFOR in effectively fulfilling its mandate , also providing for a significant monitoring role. Similar approaches at the local level in Sectoer South and North have produced very encouraging results with a better understanding between all parties. In Sectoer South, a general agreement to cease all firing between the Serb and Croat sides was proposed by the UNPROFOR Sector Commander for a week as of midnight, 31 October. This has significantly reduced the incidents of shooting. In Sector North, a local cease-fire in the Sunja area has been agreed and will last, in the first instance, until 15:00 hours, 8 November," according to the statement released by UNPROFOR. "In all Sectors, local cease-fire negotiations and other initiatives are in progress. Both military Commanders expressed their satisfaction with the results of this first meeting and agreed to continue further negotiations in order to achieve a lasting cease-fire in Sector East. UNPROFOR Force Commander, General Jean Cot, siad: "My goal is for all weapons to be silenced in order to create favourable conditions to faciliate negotiations on a global cease-fire agreement. I warmly commend Brigadier-General Peeters for the successful negotiations he has conducted in Sector East. This is a first stage in the UNPROFOR step-by-step approach to a global cease-fire," concluded yesterday's statement by UNPROFOR in Zagreb. (End) mm 061049 MET nov 93