TEN RECONSTRUCTED HOMES PRESENTED TO SERB RETURNEES

( Editorial: --> 0244 ) PAKRAC, June 10 (Hina) - Serb refugees who have returned from eastern Slavonia were presented with ten newly-built homes on Wednesday at a ceremony in Kusonje near Pakrac, western Slavonia. Another nine homes for Serb returnees are being built. A project on the construction of 22 flats for Bosnian Croats was presented as well at today's ceremony. The reconstruction of homes and flats is being financed by the European Commission (EC). The flats will be built in four months and reconstruction works will be performed by companies from Pakrac and Pozega. So far the EC has invested about DM 500,000 in the construction of homes, while the construction of flats will cost some DM 1.5 million, of which the town of Pakrac will secure about DM 170,000 for the construction of communal infrastructure. EC special envoy Per Vinther said today that reconstruction works will continue. Reconstruction works in western Slavonia will be financed by the EC and another nine homes in Kusonje are expected to be rebuilt by the middle of July, Vinther said. Reconstruction and construction works will create conditions for the return of all refugees and the EC has the full support of the Croatian authorities in this process, Vinther said. The head of the Croatian Government's Office for Cooperation with the OSCE, Tomislav Vidosevic, stressed that Croatia treated all its citizens equally and that it would not be possible to discuss peaceful return without its cooperation. The head of the Government Office for Displaced People and Refugees, Lovro Pejkovic, said there were no security problems in western Slavonia and the return process was being hampered by destroyed property. Today's ceremony in Pakrac was also attended by the British Ambassador to Croatia, Colin Munro, the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe and other international representatives and Croatian Serb MPs Milorad Pupovac and Vojislav Stanimirovic. (hina) rml /mbr 101701 MET jun 98