HERZEGOVINA CANTON OFFICIALS DISCUSS RETURN WITH INTERNATIONAL REPS

REPS ( Editorial: --> 6919 ) MOSTAR, Oct 8 (Hina) - Croat and Muslim officials from the Herzegovina-Neretva Canton and international representatives met in Mostar on Thursday to discuss the need for cooperation in the return process in the Herzegovina-Neretva and Central Bosnia cantons and elsewhere in the Croat-Muslim Federation. The two sides agreed on the need to provide security conditions for returnees so that incidents could be prevented. The meeting, held behind closed doors, was attended by the head of the Mostar Office of the High Representative, Martin Garrod, and his successor Richard Elerkman, who is to take over his office next week. "The return has to be agreed on by both sides. The return should be free of incidents and I am confident that there will be no problems in the future", said Herzegovina-Neretva Canton Prefect Zeljko Obradovic. He expressed regret over the recent killing of a Muslim returnee in the village of Tasovcici and added that the perpetrators would be prosecuted. Garrod stressed the need for the Croat and Muslim authorities in the Herzegovina-Neretva and Central Bosnia cantons to establish direct cooperation in order to promote the return of Croats to central Bosnia. The international community will finance the reconstruction of two houses for Muslim returnees in Tasovcici, he added. (hina) rml 081944 MET oct 98