CONFERENCE CONDITIONAL UPON RETURN OF REFUGEES: P.I.C.

( Editorial: --> 0505 ) SARAJEVO, April 29 (Hina) - The international group overseeing implementation of the Dayton peace agreement on Wednesday said it decided to postpone a forthcoming Croatian reconstruction conference, claiming the Croatian Government was not meeting its commitments towards refugees. The Steering Board of the Peace Implementation Council (PIC) held a meeting in Sarajevo on Wednesday at which the international High Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Carlos Westendorp, informed members about the results of the Regional Conference on Refugee Returns held in Banja Luka on Tuesday. Board members welcomed the renewed commitment of interested parties to fulfil their obligations in the return of refugees to their pre-war homes. "The High Representative emphasised the need for more to be done on a number of fronts, to prevent incidents such as those in Derventa and Drvar in recent days from recurring," a statement from the Office of the High Representative (OHR) said. "However, the Steering Board members expressed strong disapproval at the failure of the Government of Croatia to respect its commitments to the rights of refugees." The statement said the board had decided to postpone the proposed conference for reconstruction and development in Croatia until an "acceptable procedure" was in place for refugee returns. At Tuesday's Banja Luka conference Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic said the forthcoming donors' conference for the reconstruction of Croatia had to be postponed so that Croatia could draft a comprehensive plan of reconstruction and development. "That has been requested by the international community and we accepted it," he said. Granic added that the plan would provide the basis for a final and comprehensive plan for the return of refugees. Meanwhile, the statement from Westendorp's office went on to say that the PIC Steering Board members agreed that it was essential to ensure equitable distribution of financial aid to both of Bosnia- Herzegovina's entities. "Support by all members for the (Bosnian Serb Premier Milorad) Dodik Government was underlined, as was the need to ensure this support was matched by international financial commitments," the statement said. "The High Representative proposed to try to ensure a fairer split if aid to both entities, to rectify the present imbalance. This suggestion was approved by all the main donors". The PIC Steering Board also underlined its support for the joint work of the High Representative and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in preparing for the September 1998 general elections in Bosnia. "In particular, the work of the Provisional Election Commission was applauded," the OHR statement said. "It was agreed that the High Representative's media strategy was crucial to ensuring the climate of openness and equality necessary to these elections. "To this end, the Steering Board members urged Bosniaks (Muslims) and Bosnian Croats to engage fully in the prompt restructuring of RTV BiH and public media, in line with democratic broadcasting standards." (hina) lm jn /mb 292134 MET apr 98