UN & CROATIA ACHIEVE JOINT SUCCESS IN DANUBIAN REGION - SIMONOVIC

NEW YORK, Oct 29 (Hina) - The full completion of the UN police support group mandate in eastern Croatia and the good results achieved are a joint success of Croatian bodies and the United Nations, Croatia's Ambassador to the UN Ivan Simonovic told Hina on Thursday. Speaking on the occasion of the final UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan's report on the completion of the UN mission, issued today, Simonovic supported Annan's view that "restored trust is a key element for lasting stability in the Danubian region as well as in the whole of Croatia." Given that truth about war crimes and the character of the recent conflict is significant in the reconciliation process, Simonovic fully supported the demands made by the president of the international war crimes tribunal in The Hague, Gabrielle Kirk McDonald. McDonald recently requested the UN Security Council to force the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia to extradite Mile Mrksic, Veselin Sljivancanin and Miroslav Radic, who were responsible for the worst crimes committed in eastern Croatia. Simonovic warned about the differences between the UN Secretary- General's report and a report the UN special rapporteur for human rights Jiri Dienstbier made on Wednesday. "Annan has warned about the slow return of Serbs, but justifiably pointed out that the Croats' return is below all expectations," the ambassador said. He agrees that economy in eastern Croatia must be revitalised. "We therefore advocate that in its presidential statement in view of Annan's report, the Security Council support Croatia's reconstruction programme and the forthcoming international conference on the reconstruction and development (of Croatia," Simonovic concluded. (hina) ha