KLEIN LEAVES POST OF UN TRANSITIONAL ADMINISTRATOR

KLISA, Aug 9 (Hina) - UN Transitional Administration for the Croatian Danube river area (UNTAES) held a farewell ceremony on Saturday at Klisa airport near Osijek, eastern Croatia, on occasion of departure of the outgoing UN Transitional Administrator of the area, Jacques Klein, who will take over the post of the first deputy to the international High Representative to Bosnia-Herzegovina. I came here twenty months ago at a time of the real possibility of war. Tomorrow I will leave at a time of peace and the real possibility of reconciliation, multi-ethnicity and rebuilding of people's homes and lives, the U.S. retired general said in his farewell speech at the ceremony. Speaking of achievements of this UN mission in eastern Croatia, Klein said that the work of UNTAES was not yet completed, and added that three main tasks in the future would be reconciliation, return and reconstruction. He called on the Serb Orthodox Church and the Roman Catholic Church in Croatia to take the lead in the process of reconciliation which was, according to him, the most important. Saying that UNTAES abode by equality, democracy, human rights, dignity, justice and the rule of law, Klein called on Croatia and all factors in the peaceful reintegration to act in accordance with these principles in the future. A country that does so and seriously abides by its obligations becomes a part of the community of the Western developed democracies, after which Croatia aspires, he added. On behalf of the Croatian Government, Premier Matesa thanked Klein. "Under your leadership UNTAES has become the most successful mission not only in the area of the former Yugoslavia but also in history of the United Nations," the Croatian Premier said and reaffirmed the readiness of Croatian authorities to cooperate with UNTAES. Klein's resoluteness and understanding of the importance of peaceful reintegration to Croatia were reasons why the Croatian state leadership accepted, often unquestioningly, suggestions of the Transitional Administrator, Matesa added. That Klein would take new post in Bosnia-Herzegovina confirmed the resoluteness of the United States that the Washington and Dayton agreements should be consistently carried out, and Croatia would support those efforts as it was committed to the implementation of the agreements, the Croatian Premier said. On behalf of local Serbs, the Serb Democratic Independent Party (SDSS) president and a Croatian Parliament member, Vojislav Stanimirovic, held a speech at the Klisa ceremony. He said that most important achievements of UNTAES were peace and the stay of local residents. Stanimirovic voiced hope that Klein's successor, William Walker, would also work on reconciliation, reconstruction and return and on the consistent enforcement of Croatian laws in the Danube river area. A deputy to the Transitional Administrator, Souren Sereydarian and the commander of the UNTAES military component, Major General Willie Hanset, delivered speeches on behalf of UNTAES. Klein reviewed UNTAES units lined up in honour of the outgoing Transitional Administrator. The UN anthem was struck up and a flag of the World Organisation was lowered. It has been announced that Klein's successor, U.S. diplomat William Walker, will take over on August 12. Present at the ceremony were also Croatian Reconstruction Minister Jure Radic, Interior Minister Ivan Penic, Deputy Defence Minister, Kresimir Cosic, the Croatian President's deputy chief- of-staff, Vesna Skare Ozbolt, other Croatian officials and Serb representatives, foreign ambassadors in Croatia, military representatives of countries soldiers of which served with UNTAES and many other officials. (hina) mš 092124 MET aug 97