RUMA, Jan 28 (Hina/Beta) - The US embassies in Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Yugoslavia will in the future coordinate their activities in programmes of refugee return in the countries, the US Ambassador to Yugoslavia, William
Montgomery, said in the Yugoslav town of Ruma Monday. The US government will help these people find a permanent solution to their problem. The US embassies in Belgrade, Zagreb and Sarajevo have been providing assistance so far, but separately, Montgomery said, adding the embassies would try working together to make the programme of refugee return more efficient. Speaking at a meeting on refugee returns, Montgomery said a permanent peace could not be established in the region until a long-term and permanent solution to the issue was found. Now is the right time for such an initiative as there have been signs of optimism and hope throughout the region we have not encountered before.
RUMA, Jan 28 (Hina/Beta) - The US embassies in Croatia, Bosnia-
Herzegovina and Yugoslavia will in the future coordinate their
activities in programmes of refugee return in the countries, the US
Ambassador to Yugoslavia, William Montgomery, said in the Yugoslav
town of Ruma Monday.
The US government will help these people find a permanent solution
to their problem. The US embassies in Belgrade, Zagreb and Sarajevo
have been providing assistance so far, but separately, Montgomery
said, adding the embassies would try working together to make the
programme of refugee return more efficient.
Speaking at a meeting on refugee returns, Montgomery said a
permanent peace could not be established in the region until a long-
term and permanent solution to the issue was found.
Now is the right time for such an initiative as there have been signs
of optimism and hope throughout the region we have not encountered
before. We are strongly committed to helping all those who wish to
return home, Montgomery said. He added around 700,000 refugees and
displaced persons were residing in Yugoslavia at present.
The Croatian government has recently made important decisions
which will help in finding a solution to the refugees issue, the
charge d'affaires at the Croatian Embassy in Yugoslavia, Davor
Bozinovic, said, adding there already existed "a government action
plan which envisages the restitution of property given for
temporary use."
According to Bozinovic, the Croatian government will make efforts
to guarantee the return in a "transparent manner to all those who
wish to come back".
(hina) np sb