COUNCIL OF EUROPE CONCERNED AT TUDJMAN'S SPEECH

( Editorial: --> 8880 ) ZAGREB, March 11 (Hina) - The Council of Europe Ministers' Deputies held a session behind closed doors in Strasbourg on Tuesday. They expressed extreme concern at recent declarations made by the Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and certain negative developments in Eastern Slavonia since the transfer of authorities to the Croatian government, the Council of Europe said in a statement Wednesday. The Ministers' Deputies "expressed their extreme concern at recent declarations made at the highest level by the Croatian authorities and at certain negative developments in Eastern Slavonia since the transfer of sovereignty to the Croatian authorities". They stressed that they were anxious to see Croatia respect all its obligations to the international community - and especially the Council of Europe. The speech by Croatian President Franjo Tudjman at the last general convention of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) the Council of Europe statement was alluding to, was very badly interpreted, said Croatia's permanent representative to the Council of Europe, Vladimir Matek. Tudjman said that the HDZ leadership should have the leading role in the implementation of the policy of reconciliation in the Croatian Danube region, Matek said. Croatia's representative presented a set of concrete measures, especially in legislation, the Croatian government had already taken or intends to take in order to support reconciliation and restoration of trust and speed up the two-way return of refugees and displaced people. So far, 31,000 Serbs had returned to their homes in Croatia, out of which 12,000 came from the Danube area and 19,000 from Yugoslavia and Bosnia-Herzegovina, Matek recalled. He stressed that Croatia was the only country in the region which had such results in the return of refugees. Croatia's representative called on European countries to support the economic reconstruction of the Danube area, Croatia's Mission to the Council of Europe said in the statement. (hina) mm rm /mb 111848 MET mar 98