OSCE'S MINORITIES HIGH COMMISSIONER VISITS EASTERN CROATIAN COUNTY

( Editorial: --> 8114 ) OSIJEK, April 20 (Hina) - The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) High Commissioner on National Minorities, Max van der Stoel, held talks on Monday with representatives from the Osijek-Baranja County in eastern Croatia. Before the meeting van der Stoel said the OSCE was receiving reports on the continued departure of Serb residents from the southern part of the Danube River region. He said he had arrived to verify the basis of these reports. The High Commissioner emphasised that on Tuesday, following visits to the Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar-Srijem Counties, he would meet several Croatian ministers. The OSCE wants to see whether the Croatian Government is carrying out its undertaken obligations, he said. County Prefect Anica Horvat said that during the working meeting, she would submit all indicators on life and work by national minorities in the Croatian Danube region, in order to "jointly break down problems and find ways of eliminating them". Also at the meeting were the head of the regional Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees, Nada Arbanas, and head of the county education office, Ksenija Zbozil. (Hina) jn mb /ha 201725 MET apr 98