TRUST ESTABLISHMENT COMMITTEE IN SESSION IN VUKOVAR

VUKOVAR, Dec 18 (Hina) - There has been no serious incidents which could endanger the satisfactory situation in the Croatian Danube River Region in the past several months, Assistant Interior Minister Josko Moric said at a session of the National Trust Establishment Committee in Vukovar, on Friday. Moric said the police would increase preventive measures in the region with the aim of maintaining the same level of security during Christmas and New Year holidays. Given that almost a year has passed since the establishment of Croatia's sovereignty in the Danube River Region, we could be more than satisfied with the pace of return and security circumstances, the Committee president Vesna Skare-Ozbolt said. She noted that there were still many problems to be solved in the region, one of the major being the unlawful entry into reconstructed apartments. According to Vukovar Mayor Vladimir Stengl, the city housing commission had inspected 2,311 flats, of which 177 had illegal tenants while 434 were occupied by tenants who had occupancy permits granted by the former Croatian Serb rebel para-state. Head of the Government's Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees Lovre Pejkovic believed that the Government should provide social security for returnees also after their return. He said that 26,000 persons have returned to the Croatian Danube River region, while an additional 6,500 are expected to receive returnee cards in the upcoming days. Vukovar-Srijem Prefect Rudolf Koenig pointed to the mine-clearing problem, which hampers the reconstruction of residential buildings, a task taken over by the Croatian counties and other donors. The session also discussed the need to accelerate the revival of the region's economy. (hina) mm it/rml