BENKOVAC BENKOVAC, Feb 5 (Hina) - Representatives of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the German humanitarian organisation ASB on Wednesday visited the
southern Croatian town of Benkovac and the neighbouring village of Kasic, where they laid wreaths at a monument to killed Croatian soldiers in the presence of 13 Serb returnees.
BENKOVAC, Feb 5 (Hina) - Representatives of the Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), the U.N. High
Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and the German humanitarian
organisation ASB on Wednesday visited the southern Croatian town of
Benkovac and the neighbouring village of Kasic, where they laid
wreaths at a monument to killed Croatian soldiers in the presence of
13 Serb returnees. #L#
This is the first time that Serb returnees in the region attended a
ceremony paying tribute to Croatian soldiers.
At a meeting with Benkovac mayor Branko Kutija, the international
representatives requested creating conditions which would
accelerate the return of all, particularly Serbs, to the Benkovac
region.
The mayor informed the visitors that 800 reconstruction requests,
submitted by Croat returnees seven years ago, were yet to be
realised. He added that some international humanitarian
associations had of their own initiative reconstructed the houses
of Serb returnees and only subsequently requested authorisation.
European Commission representatives in Croatia said that the
return was one of the key conditions for Croatia's admission into
the EU.
The European Commission is willing to reconstruct 27 Serb houses in
Kasic and earmark 1.5 million euros for reconstruction in Benkovac
region, if returnees decide to reconstruct their houses, EC
officials said.
(hina) it sb