USAID SETS RETURN OF REFUGEES AS A CONDITION FOR HELP

( Editorial: --> 8924 ) SARAJEVO, 2 Feb (Hina) - United States Agency for International Development (USAID) director Brian Atwood on Monday said the whole international community was tired of the various excuses given by authorities in Bosnia-Herzegovina who still wanted to prevent refugees from returning. He told a press conference in Sarajevo that USAID threatened to stop its projects aimed at reconstructing the country unless such attitudes did not change quickly. After talks with Bosnian Presidency chairman Alija Izetbegovic and member Kresimir Zubak, Atwood said he gave them a clear message that the international community wanted action in relation to changes to current laws on ownership relations. If this is not resolved there will not be any new reconstruction projects and it is possible current ones will be cancelled, Atwood said. The American official said the first chance to resolve the problem would be on Tuesday, 3 February, when a conference on the return of refugees to the Sarajevo Canton will be held. Atwood said USAID support would be given to only those municipalities in the Bosnian Serb entity which accepted the full implementation of the Dayton accord, allowed the return of members of minority ethnic groups and did not tolerate the presence of war crimes suspects. The US President is expected to seek the backing of Congress for a record $225 million dollars which would be spent during the 1999 fiscal year for the reconstruction of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Atwood recalled that USAID also offered help to the return of refugees to the Croatian Danube River region, with $14 million set aside. According to Atwood, such assurances were passed on to the Croatian president. The American official meanwhile added that during a recent meeting with the Croatian President, he strongly stressed that Washington wanted non-interference in the functioning of a free media. Atwood added that the American government would continue to help independent media in Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina. (Hina) jn mb 022104 MET feb 98