RETURN PLAN IS BIGGEST SUCCESS OF OSCE IN CROATIA THIS YEAR

ZAGREB, Dec 16 (Hina) - The Croatian government's Programme for the return is a significant success of Croatia and efforts of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) for 1998. This year had been announced as the year of return, but a lot more effort needs to be exerted in order to successfully implement the plan, OSCE and UNHCR representatives said Wednesday. "Looking back, we are convinced that the OSCE mission has made a substantial contribution to a productive relationship between Croatia and the international community," OSCE spokesman Mark Thompson told a news conference Wednesday. The OSCE has ensured "an acceptable level of stability in the (Danube) region." There is, however, a lack of a consistent and timely coverage of incidents when it comes to crimes committed against people, especially when ethnicity is an important factor in these incidents, Thompson said. Little progress has been achieved in other areas, primarily in the reform of the electoral law and the democratisation of the media, he added. These tasks will be transferred to next year in which the mission's mandate and goals will remain the same, Thompson said. (hina) lml jn