CROATIA SEEKS DONORS FOR RECONSTRUCTION OF DANUBE REGION

ZAGREB, March 11 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Kostovic and UN Assistant High Commissioner for Refugees Sergio Vieiro de Mello met in Zagreb on Tuesday to discuss a package of measures for the return of Croatian refugees to the UN-administered Danube region of eastern Croatia. Kostovic told reporters after the talks that the aim of the measures was to enable the return of displaced Croats to the region, the reconstruction of housing for Serbs and the return of Serbs who so wish. "This is a very complex problem for which the Ministry of Reconstruction and Development, in cooperation with other ministries, will draft a programme which will be presented at a donors' conference next Friday," Kostovic said. Kostovic added that Croatia would seek help from donors, including the UNHCR, because it could not carry the brunt of reconstruction on its own. "Croatia has deserved assistance from the international community and it should get it," Kostovic said. The main topic discussed was the problem of displaced persons as the key issue in the implementation of the Erdut Agreement. Kostovic said that it was an essential factor of efforts to create long-term confidence and reconciliation. If we manage to propose measures that will reflect the common intention of the Croatian government, the UN Transitional Administration and the UNHCR to resolve problems of all displaced persons in a balanced way, I believe that this will mean greater confidence, successful elections and, in the long run, better understanding and peaceful coexistence of the two communities, de Mello said. (hina) vm mm 111728 MET mar 97