REPRESENTATIVES OF DISPLACED CROATS & SERBS MEET IN BANJA LUKA

( Editorial: --> 6794 ) BANJA LUKA, May 27 (Hina/Habena) - Representatives of associations of displaced Croats and Serbs met in Banja Luka on Tuesday to discuss permanent accommodation of displaced people and refugees and their right to the use of their private property, the Herzeg- Bosnian news agency Habena reported. The Croat side was headed by the president of the Association of Displaced Croats of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Stefo Mastovic, president of the Association of Croats of Bosnia-Herzegovina for Return and Immigration, Bruno Paurevic, and coordinator for the return of Croats to the Bosnian Serb entity, Zeljko Matic. The Serb delegation was headed by the president of the Association of Serb Refugees from Croatia, Petar Djodan. Croat representative Mastovic said that each person should be allowed to decide whether to return or request some other kind of accommodation. Serb representative Djodan agreed with this statement, adding that displaced people and refugees had to exert stronger pressure on all bodies of authority in order to solve their status. The meeting adopted a programme of return, "Evident 98", which was designed by the Joint Commission for Return. The programme would include an opinion poll among refugees which would investigate their interest in return and intentions regarding private property. Results of the poll would be sent to the governments of Croatia and Republika Srpska, U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, Office of the High Representative (OHR) and other international institutions in charge of implementing Annex 7 of the Dayton peace agreement. Once the poll is completed, its results will be the basis for measures which are to be taken in the process of return of refugees, their permanent accommodation and exchange of private property. It was also proposed at the meeting that all projects and programmes of return and permanent accommodation be conducted exclusively through the legal institutions of Croatia and Republika Srpska, with financial assistance of the UNHCR and countries which are directly interested in solving the refugee crisis. The meeting also concluded that it was necessary to establish contact with representatives of displaced Bosniaks, so that the same programme could be implemented on the territory of the Croat- Muslim Federation. (hina) rml/dgr 271159 MET may 98