VIENNA, Feb 20 (Hina) - Transitional Administrator for the Croatian Danubian area General Jacques Klein at a session of the OSCE Standing Committee in Vienna on Thursday spoke about the achievements of the UNTAES in the efforts for
peaceful reintegration of the Danubian area.
VIENNA, Feb 20 (Hina) - Transitional Administrator for the Croatian Danubian
area General Jacques Klein at a session of the OSCE Standing Committee in
Vienna on Thursday spoke about the achievements of the UNTAES in the efforts
for peaceful reintegration of the Danubian area. #L#
Klein pointed out the demilitarisation of the region, the start of
direct dialogues between Croatian authority and local Serbs, the
normalisation of relations between Croatia and Yugoslavia and positive
results of the visit of Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic to Belgrade on
Wednesday.
Describing the Croatian government Letter of Intent about the
completion of the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area as
exceptionally important, Klein said that it guaranteed a comprehensive
political representation of local Serbs and rights which exceed the
framework of the Erdut Agreement. He endorsed the date of 13 April as the
date of elections.
Klein informed the OSCE members about the division within the local
Serb leadership and the attempts of extremists to use misinformation to
create an atmosphere of uncertainty and insecurity.
Klein said that those who would not be able to face living in Croatia
were leaving, and extremist leaders, criminals and war profiteers who knew
that their days were numbered were manipulating refugees.
He said he believed that Serbs, lead by moderate and constructive
leaders, would participate in the elections.
Klein described technical and logistic aspects of elections as very
demanding, stressing the need of OSCE's full participation in their
preparation and implementation.
He stressed the need for OSCE to decide on the modalities of long-term
monitoring as soon as possible, after the end of the transitional period and
certain presence of the UN till 15 January 1998.
OSCE members countries' representatives supported Klein's report and
to the statement of the head of the Croatian delegation, Deputy Foreign
Minister Neven Madey, who reiterated all measures which Croatia had taken to
facilitate the process of peaceful reintegration of the last occupied part
of Croatia.
Madey stressed that the Croatian government's Letter of Intent had
created all preconditions for an effective and successful implementation of
the process of reintegration, including the holding of local elections.
Croatia was doing everything to enable local Serbs who wanted to
accept Croatia as their country to vote in the elections, Madey said,
recalling the Amnesty Law and the recent statement of Croatian President
Franjo Tudjman.
Madey stressed that the Croatian government held the elections as
crucial to the peaceful reintegration, and it would do everything to ensure
conditions for their successful implementation.
At the same time, Croatia expected the reintegration process to be
followed by decisive measures against those who were trying to jeopardise
the whole process, Madey said.
He said that Croatia expected help in strengthening the Transitional
Police and increase in the number of Croatian police officers in the police.
Madey expressed readiness of the Croatian government to, together with
the rest OSCE member countries, to consider parameters and the time frame of
the OSCE civilian mission after UNTAES left the Croatian Danubian area.
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