CROATIA IS ALREADY COMPENSATING WAR DAMAGES TO CITIZENS-PRESIDENT

ZAGREB, Jan 29 (Hina) - Croatian president Stjepan Mesic on Wednesday night refuted a claim by Serbian Prime Minister Zoran Djindjic that Croatia should pay Serbia compensation for war damages. #L# "First of all, Croatia never exiled anybody. The houses of all Croatian citizens demolished in the war will be reconstructed," Mesic said. "Therefore, Croatia is already compensating for damage caused during the war". "However, if it is proven that Croatia tore down even one house in Serbia, then we can discuss the matter," the president told reporters. Djindjic told Banja Luka's Nezavisne Novine daily that Croatia owed "perhaps even 150 billion euros because it exiled 200,000 innocent people from their homes in eastern and western Slavonia with MIGs and machine guns". The Serbian premier uttered this after a recent statement made by Mesic to the same daily that Serbia should pay Croatia war damages amounting to 15 billion euros. Asked whether the sale of the Suncani Hvar hotel company would bring the ruling coalition into jeopardy, President Mesic said he was confident this would not happen and that the parties would eventually come to an agreement. (hina) lml sb