CROATIAN PREMIER RECEIVES NEWLY-APPOINTED SERB ASSISTANT MINISTERS

ZAGREB, 6 June (Hina) - The Croatian Premier Zlatko Matesa on Friday received assistant ministers who were appointed to their posts on Thursday, in line with the Croatian Government's Letter of Intent on Peaceful Reintegration of the Croatian Danube Region. #L# After a short meeting, which was held behind closed doors, Premier Matesa said he had made it very clear to the newly-appointed assistant ministers that they are part of the Croatian state mechanism with all their rights and duties, with which they all agreed. 'They are no assistant ministers for the Croatian Danubian area, but assistant ministers like any other in the Croatian government with responsibility for the whole territory of the Republic of Croatia', Matesa stressed. 'The appointment of assistant ministers is absolutely in line with the process of peaceful reintegration and it will speed it up considerably', he added. The appointed assistant ministers were very satisfied with the fact that the obligation from the Government Letter of Intent concerning the appointment of assistant ministers had been fulfilled, said Milos Vojnovic on behalf of the Joint Council of Municipalities of eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem. Vojnovic stressed that there had been no difficulties in the procedure of proposing and electing assistant ministers. Today's meeting was attended by the newly-appointed Assistant Interior Minister Dragan Djukic, Assistant Justice Minister Radovan Majski, Assistant Education and Sports Minister Adam Grubor, Slobodan Jovicic, who holds an important post in the Reconstruction and Development Ministry and Milenko Vucetic, who holds a post in the Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees, Vojnovic said. The newly-appointed Assistant Culture Minister Nikola Zivkovic could not attend today's meeting, Vojnovic said. (hina) rm mm 061902 MET jun 97