EU Ready To Clear Danube If Serbia Cooperates

Work on clearing bombed bridges from the Danube River in Yugoslavia could begin in March if Belgrade agrees next week to a proposal that the European Union would help fund, according to EU sources. Removing the wreckage of three bridges destroyed by NATO during last year's 11-week air war over Kosovo from the river at Novi Sad in Serbia is essential to reopen the key international waterway to commercial shipping. However, it will require a compromise on the sensitive issue of post-war reconstruction that could cause friction with the U.S. The $30 million project awaits approval by the Danube Commission, made up of states through which the river flows, including Yugoslavia. The decision requires unanimity.