CRO FOREIGN MINISTER CALLS FOR ADOPTION OF PROCESS OF RETURN DOC.

( Editorial: --> 7488 ) ZAGREB, April 16 (Hina) - The requests of the international community for a mass and speedy return of all Serbs who had fled Croatia are unfounded without substantial international financial help, head of the Croatian Office for Refugees and Displaced Persons, Lovre Pejkovic told Friday's session of the Croatian National Parliament's House of Representatives. The session focused on the Government's Report on the realisation of the programme of the two-way return of refugees and displaced persons, with accent on requests by the international community. Recalling that the refugee crisis had been caused by the aggression of the former Yugoslav People's Army and rebel Serbs, Pejkovic said that Croatia had so far invested a total of US$1.6 billion, and US$1.1 billion for the care of refugees and displaced persons. Along with all these efforts, Croatia had also created a psychological and legal framework for the return of refugees and displaced persons to Croatia. With the current dynamics of reconstruction, however, the return could not be expedited because of the lack of funds, nor have conditions been created for the return of Croats to the FR Yugoslavia or Bosnia, without which the refugee problem in Croatia could not be efficiently solved, Pejkovic said. He added that the cost of care for the remaining refugees and displaced persons and the two-way return into and from the Croatian Danube River region amounted to about US$8.3 billion monthly. Around 20,000 displaced persons have returned to the Danubian area so far. About 14,000 people have returned from the Danubian area into other parts of Croatia, and another 5,000 persons are about to return. From the FR Yugoslavia about 19,000 Serbs have returned to Croatia so far, and about another 15,000 want to return. Since 1995, around 55,000 persons have returned to the Federation of Bosnia, while around 130,000 Croats from Bosnia-Herzegovina are still in Croatia. About 30,000 of them still have refugee status, and the rest have integrated into Croatian society in various ways, because they cannot return to their homes yet, Pejkovic said. Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic suggested that the Parliament support a document that had been distributed to MPs on Thursday, entitled "Process of Return of Persons Who Have Fled Croatia", which has been harmonised with the international community, and that the Government draft a special plan of return which would consider the reality of the situation on the field. Assessing that the intentions of recent international pressures on Croatia was to expedite the return process, Granic said Croatia had been the victim, but, despite that, had very well solved the refugee crisis. Besides, Croatia had also mostly contributed to the resolution of the refugee crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina. Misunderstandings with the international community are the result of differences in understanding the speed and possibilities of return, Granic said. He recalled that Croatia and Bosnia-Herzegovina had signed an agreement on the return of refugees. Croatia had also signed agreements with the Bosnian Federation and FRY on return. A protocol on the return of refugees is also expected to be signed with Republika Srpska in 10 or 15 days. The pressure of the international community has subsided in the last several days, because it had realised it was unrealistic to expect a mass and instant return of all refugees. Croatia would participate in the upcoming regional conference on the return of refugees to Banja Luka and continue to invest efforts in the solution of the refugee problem, but it also expected a realistic approach to the problem, Granic said. (hina) lm/mrb 171523 MET apr 98