SOME 420 VOLUMES OF CROATIAN LAND REGISTERS IN BELGRADE

BELGRADE, June 3 (Hina) - Around 420 volumes of land registers and registers of births, marriages, and deaths that were confiscated during the "Storm" action in 1995 and taken from Croatia to Serbia, are located in the City Secretariat of General Administration in Belgrade, Minister of State Administration and Local Self- Government in the Serbian government Rodoljub Sabic told Hina. #L# The question why the registers had not been mentioned until now and that they had in fact been confiscated from Croatia should be forwarded to diplomatic staff of Croatia and of Serbia-Montenegro, Sabic said. Just when the registers would be returned is a matter of 'good will' and agreement between the Serbian and Croatian sides. It is beyond any doubt that the registers belong to Croatia, he said. Nevertheless, Minister Sabic told Hina that before the registers were returned, it would be worth keeping in mind that there is a large number of Croatian citizens who have in the meantime gained citizenship in Serbia and Montenegro and as such require data contained in these registers. Therefore it should be checked how these registers have been recorded on microfilm, as Serbia's Justice Minister Vladan Batic announced today. Croatia's Justice Minister Ingrid Anticevic-Marinovic stated after yesterday's meeting in Zagreb with Minister Batic that Croatia may consider suspending the visa regime for citizens from Serbia and Montenegro but only after Serbia returned the registers that were confiscated from Croatia. Serbia's Minister Batic stated on Tuesday that the Serbian government was prepared to return the registers as a sign of their good will and that this would have been done even if Croatia had not publicly requested this. (hina) sp ms sb