USA TO INCREASE ASSISTANCE FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF TOWNS IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, Dec 2 (Hina) - The US Administration hopes that the number of Croatian towns engaged in the process of return and reconciliation and receiving American aide for reconstruction will double in the next several months. "We have already identified eight such centres and we expect that their number will increase in the next few months," US Embassy spokeswoman in Zagreb, Anja Picelj-Kosak, told Hina on Thursday, on the eve of the Conference on the Reconstruction of Development of Croatia. Within the framework of the existing programme of American assistance to Croatia which has identified towns and villages that actively support the programme of return and reconciliation, the United States is working with local authorities and the Croatian Government to specify projects to be financed by the American Administration. "In most cases these projects will be directly lifted from the lists of projects offered by the reconstruction and Development Ministry for the conference," Picelj-Kosak said. The overall US aide programme for Croatia, which has lasted for several years, has reached the amount of several hundred million dollars. The United States has, through international organisations, invested about US$300 million, and a further $90 million through projects for the development of democracy, infrastructure and humanitarian programmes. (hina) lml mm