QUICK AND MASS RETURN OF REFUGEES IS UTOPIA - CRO GOVT SPOKESMAN

( Editorial: --> 9228 ) ZAGREB, April 24, (Hina) - Croatian Government spokesman Neven Jurica on Friday described pressures by a part of the international community on Croatia, relating to the return of Serb refugees, as not understandable, unrealistic, and unjustified. The Croatian Government has been creating and continues to create conditions for the procedure of return. The situation in the field proves that and so does the Government's report on the programme of two-way return which is currently with the Croatian National Parliament, Jurica said. He recalled that Croatian President Franjo Tudjman had called on Croatian Serbs to stay in Croatia and certify their loyalty to the Croatian state. However, they left Croatia on their own will in 1995 when territories under Serb occupation were liberated, Jurica said. They never accepted Croatia, neither during occupation, aggression, nor rebellion, he said. It is difficult to understand how some on the international community do not see that what they are requesting is unrealistic, because the requests obviously are also not acceptable to most Serbs, Jurica said. He added that such demands could only introduce renewed insecurity and instability, especially after the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube River region and the excellent success of the entire process in which Croatia, together with UN Transitional Administration troops, had ensured peace, security and stability in the area. The incident in Derventa, when Bosnian Serbs stoned a group of exiled Croats who had visited their home town, could shatter illusions about a speedy return, Jurica said. The most recent statements in diplomatic and public circles aimed at creating an impression of "an ostensible flirtation of democratic Croatian authorities with fascism and the Ustasha ideology," are dishonest and tendentious, Jurica said. He added that Croatia was proud of its anti-fascist tradition. (hina) lm/mrb 241604 MET apr 98