BELGRADE MEDIA MARK ANNIVERSARY OF OPERATION STORM

BELGRADE, Aug 5 (Hina) - Belgrade-based media on Sunday marked the seventh anniversary of Croatia's Operation Storm, which in 1995 liberated territories controlled by Serb rebels, stressing problems faced by Croatian Serb refugees. #L# Serbian patriarch Paul celebrated mass at Belgrade's St. Mark's Church for all victims killed in 1995. The media quoted Yugoslav President Vojislav Kostunica's statement that Yugoslavia and Croatia had to cooperate and be good neighbours. Also featured was footage of the course of Storm and of Serbs leaving the self-styled "Republic of Srpska Krajina". Electronic media quoted the president of the Serb National Council in Croatia, Milorad Pupovac, as saying that refugee returns and the restitution of property to Serb returnees in Croatia were still being obstructed. The electronic media also quoted Yugoslavia's commissioner for refugees Sanda Raskovic Ivic as saying that only 40,000 Serbs had returned to Croatia and not 80,000 as claimed in Croatia. She also pointed to the issue of unresolved tenancy rights for more than 50,000 Serb refugees. The Studio B television station mentioned former US Ambassador to Croatia Peter Galbraith, claiming he had entered a half-burned down Knin aboard a tank. Other media stated the United States had supported Operation Storm. (hina) ha