INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE "INCOMPLETE PEACE" STARTS IN ZAGREB

( Editorial: --> 8838 ) ZAGREB, June 4 (Hina) - A two-day conference "Incomplete Peace" on prospects of peace and democracy in Central and East Europe and chances of Central and East European countries to integrate into western institutions, started in Zagreb on Thursday. The event was organised by the Croatian Helsinki Committee (HHO) and the Legal Centre of Bosnia-Herzegovina, under the auspices of the Berlin-based institute for studying democracy ASPEN. The starting point of discussions is the report, "Incomplete Peace" by the International Commission for the Balkans, published in Croatia last year. The conference was addressed by the HHO president Ivan Zvonimir Cicak, history professor at the US University of Yale Ivo Banac and co-chairman of the Council of Ministers of Bosnia-Herzegovina, Haris Silajdzic. In his analysis of causes and consequences of the war in Croatia and Bosnia, Banac recalled the creation of the Great-Serbian idea at the end of the 80's and its instrumentalisation in the wars against Croatia and Bosnia. Ethnic cleansing and the creation of ethnically homogenous states is not the consequence but the aim of the war, Banac maintains. This may not have been obvious at the beginning of the war, but during the conflict it became a common goal of all sides. Serb, Croat and Muslim leaders obviously believe that national homogeneity and minority-free states are the basis of political stability and offer a unique chance for peace, Banac said. Silajdzic advocated the urgent adoption of a law which would enable immediate application of international human rights conventions on the whole territory of Bosnia-Herzegovina. He believes that a law on refugee return should be adopted and that projects on relocating refugees to areas where they create majority population should be prevented. In that context, Silajdzic condemned Tuesday's statement by Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa and Republika Srpska Premier Milorad Dodik in which they advocated the exchange of or restitution for property between refugees from Croatia and the Bosnian Serb entity. (hina) rml/dgr 041441 MET jun 98