Veljko Dzakula was talking to the press after a workshop on returns to Croatia focusing on the settlement of the remaining legal and incident-related issues.
Dzakula said the way to sustainable refugee return lay in the employment of Serbs in the police, the health and education sectors, and in the implementation of the constitutional law on ethnic minorities' rights, which guarantees that Serbs are equal citizens.
Dzakula said the Serbs had accepted the Croatian government's solutions for the restitution of tenancy rights, according to which they would be given state-owned flats at a protected lease price, with the possibility of subsequently purchasing them.
Dzakula said Serbs would be encouraged to return if the provision of housing began.
He went on to say that the situation concerning the security of returnees was alarming. He said that 30-50 ethnically-motivated incidents had occurred in Croatia in this year's first eight months.
On the other hand, Croatian Assistant Interior Minister Djoko Tipsa told the press the security of property and people wishing to return was "very good, although there have been some inter-ethnic issues". He added that "fortunately, many cases have been solved".
The workshop, the third of its kind, was closed to the press. It was organised by the Danish Refugee Council and the Serb Democratic Forum from Croatia and Serbia. Also in attendance were representatives of international, Croatian and Serbian nongovernmental organisations, as well as of Croatian and Serbian authorities.