CROATIA FULLY SUPPORTS AGREEMENT ON RETURN OF REFUGEES - NOBILO

VIENNA, June 5 (Hina) - Croatia's ambassador to the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), Mario Nobilo, addressed an OSCE session in Vienna on Thursday on the views of the Croatian government on the return of refugees and displaced persons following a recent report by the OSCE mission in Croatia. Nobilo stressed the Croatian government's "full commitment to implement the Agreement of the Joint Working Group on the Operational Procedures of Return," signed by the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the UN Transitional Administration in the Croatian Danube river region (UNTAES) and the Croatian government. "This Agreement stipulates in detail the procedures for an organised return of all refugees and displaced persons, both into the Croatian Danubian area and in other parts of Croatia." Nobilo noted that "in the period since the fall of 1995, and especially in the last months, more than 500 Croatian citizens of Serb nationality have returned to the area of Hrvatska Kostajnica (80 km southeast of Zagreb) - mainly facilitated by the UNHCR and without the knowledge of the Croatian authorities." "The Croatian Government insists on strict implementation of both the spirit and the letter of this Agreement, since it is the only way to avoid unfortunate incidents like the one that took place in Hrvatska Kostajnica (in mid-May)," the Croatian ambassador said. Nobilo said that the Croatian government had already taken "several decisive steps" to ensure a favourable environment for refugee returns. "These measures include an immediate increase in the number of police officers in the areas where the return is expected, including the forces of the special police," he said. (hina) vm mm 051823 MET jun 97