WORKING GROUP FOR RETURN MEETS IN OSIJEK

OSIJEK, 18 Sept (Hina) - A working group of the Croatian Government, U.N. Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia and U.N. High Commission for Refugees, in charge of implementing the two-way return, on Thursday held a working meeting with the officials of local self-government in the Croatian Danube river region in Osijek. The head of the Government Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees, Lovre Pejkovic, told a press conference held after the meeting that it had been agreed that local authorities in the Danube river region should make lists of empty and liveable houses and send them through UNTAES to the Office for Displaced Persons and Refugees. On the basis of those lists the Office will issue passes for return. "We have to come to a larger number of liveable houses in the Danube river region in order to be able to talk at all about a more massive return of Croats. We expect local authorities to help us as they are best acquainted with the situation on the ground," Pejkovic said. According to data provided by the Office, some 1,500 people have returned to the Danube river region, out of whom 270 have been granted returnee status. The Office has processed 17, 754 requests for return which cover 51,017 people who want to return to the area. So far, 1,379 families with 3,933 members have been given return certificates. There are 23,402 registered displaced people in the U.N.- administered area, out of whom 12,281 want to return to their homes elsewhere in Croatia and the rest want to sell or exchange their property and leave Croatia. 896 displaced people have returned in organised convoys. More than 5,000 people have returned spontaneously, out of whom 4,111 have registered with the Office and will be granted returnee status. "The return of Serbs from the Danube river region is much faster than the return of Croats to the area, and the Government and UNTAES now want to speed up the return of Croats to the area," Pejkovic said. The head of the UNTAES department for refugees Joran Stigmer stated that the two-way return is not quick enough. According to Stigmer, 600 empty and liveable houses have been registered in the U.N.-administered area and there is chance of family reunion in 125 cases. UNTAES message to the working group and local authorities is that the Danube river region is safe and under control of U.N. Transitional Administration, he said. (hina) jn rm 182311 MET sep 97