WORLD VETERANS' FEDERATION COMMITTEE ENDS SESSION IN PULA

PULA, March 18 (Hina) - Croatian Homeland War Soldiers Minister Ivica Pancic said the biggest value of the 17th session of the European committee of the World Veteran Federation held in Pula, was the gathering of war veterans from the most sensitive regions of Europe -- the south-east of Europe. After the session which had been held since Tuesday under the auspices of Croatian President Stipe Mesic, WVF president Serge Wourgaft and president of the Association of Croatian Homeland War Veterans, Djuro Decak, spoke to reporters. "Although this process has lasted for several years, the establishment of complete trust among members of different countries will take some time," Pancic said. He underline the importance of institutes for psychological and social assistance to victims of war, one of which will be based in Croatia. Croatia will have to gather resources for such projects because "everything directed towards solving problems of veterans and victims must be a priority to the new Croatian Government," he said. Wourgaft and Decak expressed satisfaction that the conference ended without any excesses, although, Decak said, the session gathered representatives of three conflicted sides in Bosnia- Herzegovina who had in the end agreed on internal cooperation within the country. Decak was elected the new chairman of the World Veteran Federation's permanent committee for European issues on Friday. (hina) lml