PENIC: TRANSITIONAL POLICE READY FOR RETURN OF DISPLACED PEOPLE

VUKOVAR/ILOK/ERDUT, 7 July (Hina) - The Croatian Interior Minister Ivan Penic and his associates on Monday visited the Croatian Danube river region. #L# Penic visited Vukovar, where he met the commander of the UNTAES Civil Police, Walter Fallmann, the head of the Transitional Police Force, Ivan Babic, and commanders of local police stations, with whom he discussed the adjustment of the TPF to the organisation of the Croatian Interior Ministry. Penic called on both Croat and Serb TPF members to be a 'serious and professional police force'. Your are all now Croatian police, Penic said. The Serbs have confidence in the Croatian Interior Ministry, UNTAES Civil Police head Fallman said. Penic also visited Ilok, where he met Ilok mayor Stipan Kraljevic. The Croatian Interior Minister stressed that the TPF were ready to secure safety conditions for the return of displaced people to Ilok. Ilok mayor Kraljevic warned that the regime of crossing UNTAES check points on former separation lines was one of the biggest obstacles to the return to and entry of Croatian displaced people into the Danube river region. (hina) rm mm 071845 MET jul 97