UN AGENCIES URGE ADEQUATE ANSWER TO POSITIVE CHANGES IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, Feb 17 (Hina) - The international community should respond more appropriately to the new situation and positive changes in Croatia, UN agencies for humanitarian operations and representatives of the Croatian government and donor countries concluded at a joint meeting in Zagreb on Thursday. The meeting was chaired by the head of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) Mission to Croatia, Robert Robinson. UN agencies demand US$35 million for humanitarian work in Croatia. Croatia's Public Works, Reconstruction, and Construction Minister Radimir Cacic told ambassadors accredited in Croatia the requirements for the implementation of a reconstruction and refugee return programme over the next four years had been estimated at one billion US dollars. "At least US$250 million is necessary for the year 2000, but given the dramatic state of the economy, it is expected the budget will be decreased," Cacic said, adding appropriate international assistance was needed for a successful implementation of the said programme. In cooperation with the UNHCR, the Croatian government will present a return and reintegration project at the Stability Pact for Southeast Europe working table in Budapest on Monday. The US$55- million project covers 16,500 persons who have submitted a request to return to pre-war homes. The project enjoys the full support of UN agencies, and has been made in cooperation with the UNHCR. Cacic said intense work was in progress to change legal regulations on reconstruction and areas of special government concern which the international community finds worrying and potentially discriminating. Present at today's meeting were also Croatian Assistant Foreign Minister Vladimir Drobnjak and the head of the government's Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees, Lovre Pejkovic. (hina) ha