ECONOMIC AID WILL STEP UP TWO-WAY RETURN TO BANOVINA & KORDUN

( Editorial: --> 9152 ) SISAK, Mar 12 (Hina) - The Deputy Prefect of Sisacko-Moslavacka County, Zeljko Nenadic, Thursday held talks with Serb Democratic Forum president Veljko Djakula, and representatives of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and the United States Embassy in Croatia. Held in Sisak, 50 km south-east of Zagreb, the talks focused on the two-way return of refugees, the return of temporarily taken property, and the building of confidence among people in war- affected and ravaged areas of Sisacko-Moslavacka County. Nenadic pointed out the county committee for confidence building was doing everything to create security and technical conditions for the return of Serb refugees from the Danube region of eastern Croatia, the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and the Bosnian Serb entity. Three quarters of Serbs returned to the Banovina and Kordun areas voluntarily and spontaneously, beside a two-way return agreement and without the knowledge of local authorities which, said Nenadic, could cause difficulties on the ground. The deputy prefect stressed that thanks to the efforts of the county committee for confidence building and local committees, the property and security of Serb returnees in the area have not been imperilled since an incident from May last year. Djakula said the Serb Democratic Forum wished to make a genuine good-intentioned contribution to the reconstruction of war- ravaged areas and the creation of conditions for a dignified living of all citizens. At today's meeting it was agreed that the basic problem in the area was a stagnant economy and lack of jobs. They pointed out the international community should provide a more substantial financial assistance in the reconstruction. (hina) ha mm 121848 MET mar 98