ZAGREB, Feb 3 (Hina) - Croatian Public Works, Reconstruction and Construction Minister Radimir Cacic on Monday held a meeting with representatives of international institutions in Croatia to inform them about results achieved in
reconstruction and the return of refugees and displaced persons in the period between 2000 and the beginning of this year. Also, he acquainted them with new government initiatives in the same context.
ZAGREB, Feb 3 (Hina) - Croatian Public Works, Reconstruction and
Construction Minister Radimir Cacic on Monday held a meeting with
representatives of international institutions in Croatia to inform
them about results achieved in reconstruction and the return of
refugees and displaced persons in the period between 2000 and the
beginning of this year. Also, he acquainted them with new
government initiatives in the same context. #L#
The minister for the first time announced that former tenancy
rights owners from areas of special government concern would be
given substitute property, in line with the Law on Reconstruction.
Speaking about the reconstruction and return results so far, Cacic
enumerated important factors which made progress possible.
These are amendments to the Law on Reconstruction and the Law on
Areas of Special Government Concern, significant investments in
creating sustainable conditions for return and developing war-
struck areas, the transparency of the programme implementation and
the development of cooperation with non-governmental
organisations, he said.
There is also intense international cooperation and the approach to
international financial institutions and funds, he added.
Apart from the Croatian state which is for the most part financing
the reconstruction and refugee return, Cacic cited several
international donors, the most significant being the European
Commission -- ABS, and the CARDS 2001 programme, as well as other
programmes -- ICR, GTZ etc. But, he added, the share of
international institutions in the reconstruction programme
covered only seven percent of the costs, with the Croatian
government financing the rest.
In the past three years, the pace and sustainability of the return
has significantly progressed, so that 70,432 displaced persons, of
whom 60 percent are members of minorities, returned to Croatia, he
said.
The meeting was attended by the chief of the European Commission
Delegation in Croatia, Jacques Wunnenburger, the head of the
Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, Peter
Semneby, the chief of the UNHCR, Olusey Bajulaiye, as well as
ambassadors accredited in Croatia.
(hina) lml sb