SPLIT, Feb 5 (Hina) - The new head of the OSCE (Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe) co-ordination centre in Knin, Richard Gibson, who succeeded Andreas Kohlschuetter, held his first news conference in Split on Friday.
The American Gibson said he would particularly commit himself to the implementation and supervision of the Croatian Government's programme for the return which regulated the comprehensive reconstruction of war-ravaged homes in the country. The OSCE can notice that possible users of the programme have not been in detail and duly informed of the programme, as the information about it has been published only in the official gazette "Narodne Novine", Gibson warned. Gibson complained that the Government Commission for the Return failed to launch a campaign to inform everybody about the programme at a national level. The deadline for applications e
SPLIT, Feb 5 (Hina) - The new head of the OSCE (Organisation for
Security and Cooperation in Europe) co-ordination centre in Knin,
Richard Gibson, who succeeded Andreas Kohlschuetter, held his
first news conference in Split on Friday.
The American Gibson said he would particularly commit himself to
the implementation and supervision of the Croatian Government's
programme for the return which regulated the comprehensive
reconstruction of war-ravaged homes in the country.
The OSCE can notice that possible users of the programme have not
been in detail and duly informed of the programme, as the
information about it has been published only in the official
gazette "Narodne Novine", Gibson warned.
Gibson complained that the Government Commission for the Return
failed to launch a campaign to inform everybody about the programme
at a national level. The deadline for applications expires on March
15, this year, he told reports.
He criticised the commission for being inactive, since it has not
forwarded guidelines or instructions to local housing commissions
for more than four months.
The American diplomat said the housing commission in Zadar had not
held a session for three months while the Knin commission solved
just two cases of several hundred cases sent to it.
The Knin housing commission seems to be attaching more importance
to accommodation of new settlers from third countries than to the
return of refugees and displaced people, he said.
He quoted an example of a Croatian citizen, also OSCE employee. She
returned to her house in Korenica three years ago and agreed to
sharing her property with people who had temporarily been located
there. But, later they forced her to leave her house, Gibson told
reporters.
He expressed satisfaction with the security situation in the area
which the Knin-based OSCE centre is monitoring.
He described the situation as calm adding that only a small number
of incidents had been recorded.
The American spoke about three incidents since the New Year.
In Crno near Zadar two anti-tank mines were planted in the house of a
returnees, and the incident took no toll.
Another case occurred on January 22 when the planted explosive blew
up in the village of Mogoric near Gospic. There were no injured
persons.
Gibson spoke about this week's explosion in Brlog near Otocac when
one person was killed and a policeman conducting the on-the-spot
investigation sustained serious injuries.
Such incidents put people in jeopardy and slow the process of the
return, Gibson warned but expressed satisfaction with the fact that
Croatian police was taking care of such cases.
(hina) jn ms