LOCAL GOVERNMENT OFFICE OPENS IN ILOK

ILOK, June 18 (Hina) - The mayor of Ilok, Stipan Kraljevic, opened a local government office in this town in UN-administered eastern Croatia on Wednesday. Expressing satisfaction with the event, Kraljevic stressed that now it was most important to ensure the normal functioning of public services and the resolution of problems such as the two-way return of displaced persons and refugees. Noting that the two-way return was under way, he said that several war-separated Croat families had already returned to Ilok while Serbs had begun returning to other parts of Croatia which they had left. Displaced persons should be returned to vacant houses in the Ilok area as soon as possible to prevent further looting, he said. Local government officials would be travelling to work from Vinkovci and would take up residence in Ilok as soon as conditions for that had been created. The office is located in the Town Hall built at the turn of the century. A wedding ceremony has recently taken place there in line with Croatian regulations, the first since 1991. (hina) vm jn 181610 MET jun 97