UNITED STATES WELCOMES INCREASED NUMBER OF RETURNS TO CROATIA

WASHINGTON, Aug 11 (Hina) - The United States welcomes the efforts of Croatian President Stipe Mesic and Prime Minister Ivica Racan aimed at continuing democratic changes as well as the efforts they are making toward reconciliation and acceptance of the return of minority citizens to Croatia, read a special statement released by the State Department on Thursday. #L# Department Spokesman Richard Boucher, who signed the statement, said that UNHCR data showed that about 8,000 Croatian Serb refugees had returned in an organised manner to Croatia in the first six months of 2000 and the number of returnees could reach 20,000 by the end of this year. President Mesic on Thursday estimated that about 60,000 refugees had returned to Croatia so far, including 10,000 returns in the first half of this year. The State Department reminds that at their talks with US President Bill Clinton Mesic and Racan had been promised US assistance of US$4.5 million for the work of non-governmental organisations which are assisting returnees. Including this donation, the total US assistance for return programmes in Croatia this year amounts to US$25 million, the statement reads. The State Department calls on the governments of Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina to speed up the process of finding alternative accommodation for persons occupying somebody else's property and return the property to the actual owners. The two governments have taken this course but they should double their efforts. The United States hopes that Croatia will consider and apply laws regulating property repossession, which are necessary for increasing the number of those returning to their homes, read the statement, calling on the international community to continue assisting those who had experienced great suffering. (hina) rml