OSCE MISSION CHIEF & GERMAN AMBASSADORS VISIT DANUBE RIVER REGION

( Editorial: --> 4436 ) VUKOVAR, Aug 18 (Hina) - A group of leading Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) and German diplomats visited the Danube River region on Tuesday to assess the situation in eastern Croatia. The delegation included OSCE mission to Croatia head Tim Guldimann, Germany's Ambassador to the OSCE in Vienna Rudolf Schmidt and the German Ambassador to Croatia Volker Haak. They held talks behind closed doors with the Joint Council of (Serb majority) Municipalities (ZVO) president Milos Vojnovic, who after the meeting said it mainly discussed the status and method of financing his organisation. "We are encouraged by the fact that Ambassador Guldimann and his associates have an affirmative relation towards the ZVO and are prepared to offer their maximum engagement in resolving the status and method of financing the ZVO," Vojnovic said. He added that the meeting also discussed the position of Serbs in Croatia and other issues of importance for the Croatian Serb community. This included the problems Serb refugees faced in returning to Croatia. "We brought it to the attention of the international community that there were two issues which could threaten the return programme," Vojnovic said. "This is the problem of returning tenancy rights and the problem of the wrongful persecution of Serbs because of their involvement in the war." Later in the afternoon Guldimann held a press conference, where he said there existed certain problems in implementing the return programme, especially when it came to the work of housing commissions, which he said, in many places were still not operating or were working only on paper. It is very important that the Croatian authorities expedite the process of their formation and offer instructions on the methods of their operation. This is a very important issue for us, Guldimann said adding that the OSCE expected the housing commissions to be formed as soon as possible. Guldimann also expressed concern over the economic situation in the Danube region. He said it should not be expected that the forthcoming donors' conference would resolve the numerous economic problems in the region, but it should signify the beginning of better cooperation between people and the resurrection of dying economic activities. The OSCE mission chief also said the Danube region visit also looked at the situation regarding preparations for the OSCE to take over the United Nations Civil Police Support Group monitoring mission on October 15. The OSCE monitoring mission will comprise 280 monitors at the most and half of these will be located in the Danube region. Guldimann said it was always stated that what happened in the Danube region provided a specific window through which the situation in all of Croatia could be seen. (Hina) mbr 182244 MET aug 98