ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula on Monday held talks with UNHCR coordinator for Southeast Europe, Werner Blatter on the return of refugees and displaced persons, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a
statement.
ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula on
Monday held talks with UNHCR coordinator for Southeast Europe,
Werner Blatter on the return of refugees and displaced persons, the
Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. #L#
Blatter praised the Croatian government for efforts invested in the
return of refugees and the restitutiom of property, and pointed to
visible progress achieved over the past two years. Encouraging
further return, Blatter proposed to the Croatian government to
intensify its work on the issue of citizenship and the return of
property, namely tenancy rights, the statement says.
Picula said the Croatian government was taking measures for the
return of the remaining refugees and displaced persons by
accelerating the reconstruction of war-torn areas. He said the
government was working on providing housing for refugees and the
economic revival of the worn-torn areas, the ministry said in the
statement.
The foreign minister told Blatter the Croatian government was
obliged to complete the process of the repossession of occupied
property by the end of this year. Picula said the government had
adopted an implementation plan for the return of property, which,
according to him, was already being carried out, the statement
said.
"Speaking about the visa regime, minister Picula informed Blatter
of the fact that about 80 percent of the people in Yugoslavia
requesting visas for Croatia have both Yugoslav and Croatian
citizenship, which is why Croatian visas cannot be issued to them,"
the ministry said in the statement, calling upon those persons to
apply for Croatian passports.
(hina) it sb