TRAVNIK RECEIVES UNHCR ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

( Editorial: --> 8444 ) TRAVNIK, Oct 14 (Hina) - At Wednesday's session of the Travnik Municipal Council, the city of Travnik (central Bosnia- Herzegovina) was pronounced as the "Open City" by the UNHCR. Deputy Director of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees in Bosnia- Herzegovina, Arnluv Torjorsen, handed the acknowledgement to the Council's chairman, Tomislav Rajic, and municipal head Besim Halilovic, stressing that the acknowledgement was presented to them for the implementation of the Dayton Agreement, for the results of municipal elections in 1997, and for the respect of human rights and freedoms. Deputy High International Representative for Bosnia-Herzegovina, Hanns Schumacher, said Travnik deserved the acknowledgement for the removal of the Bosniak (Moslem) secret service AID from the joint police premises, for the opening of a Catholic School at the Archbishop High School in Travnik, and for the start of the return of displaced Croats to the municipal towns of Bukovica and Brajkovici. Schumacher requested municipal leaders to expedite the return of Croats, and especially to reorganise Travnik in accordance with the Constitution of the Bosnian Federation. Travnik has proved to be very successful in implementing Annex 7 of the Dayton Agreement, which stipulates that the return of refugees must not be an issue of political will, but must be the decision of returnees, he said. Schumacher stressed that local authorities in Travnik have completed more evictions of people who have moved into the homes illegally than in the whole central Bosnia, but also more than in the whole of Republika Srpska. Rajic said he was satisfied with the acknowledgement the UNHCR has presented to Travnik, but he also criticised the work of municipal authorities, which, according to him, are returning the usurped rights of Croats on a very slow basis. Halilovic said the international community has recognised positive currents in the life of Travnik. (hina) lml 141940 MET oct 98