WASHINGTON, May 21 (Hina) - The United States has promised Croatia US$5 million for the implementation of a national programme of refugee return. The agreement on the assistance was reached at a meeting between the Croatian
Reconstruction Minister Jure Radic and US Assistant Secretary of State Julie Taft in Washington on Thursday. The US official also promised a more active role of the State Department in overall efforts to help Croatia's economy recover. Radic presented a list of 58,340 Croatian Serbs who have been granted, at their request, all necessary personal documents and have been enabled to return. Another 13,000 Serbs are waiting for their applications to be processed, Radic said, adding one of the reasons which prevented a speedier return of all refugees was the fact that there were almost no returnees to the area of the Bosnian Serb entity, and the same applied to Croat refugees from
WASHINGTON, May 21 (Hina) - The United States has promised Croatia
US$5 million for the implementation of a national programme of
refugee return.
The agreement on the assistance was reached at a meeting between the
Croatian Reconstruction Minister Jure Radic and US Assistant
Secretary of State Julie Taft in Washington on Thursday.
The US official also promised a more active role of the State
Department in overall efforts to help Croatia's economy recover.
Radic presented a list of 58,340 Croatian Serbs who have been
granted, at their request, all necessary personal documents and
have been enabled to return. Another 13,000 Serbs are waiting for
their applications to be processed, Radic said, adding one of the
reasons which prevented a speedier return of all refugees was the
fact that there were almost no returnees to the area of the Bosnian
Serb entity, and the same applied to Croat refugees from
Yugoslavia.
Taft requested a more efficient resolution of remaining cases of
property being reclaimed. She also wanted to know about the refugee
crisis in Kosovo and inquired about the possibility for Croatian
companies to participate in reconstruction and construction.
The Kosovo crisis was the main topic also of Radic's talks with John
Werner, president of the Senate committee for armed forces.
Senator Werner was interested in the possibility for Croatian ports
to be used for the delivery of humanitarian aid. Radic expressed
readiness for the port of Ploce to be used for that purpose.
During the day, Radic also met a Republican Congressman Frank Wolf
with whom he discussed the return and reconstruction process.
(hina) rml