COUNCIL OF EUROPE REPS. VISIT CROATIAN DANUBE AREA

VUKOVAR, Oct 11 (Hina) - Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly monitoring committee members, who are on a visit to Croatia from 8 to 13 October, on Saturday toured the Croatian Danube river area to hold talks with representatives of the UN Transitional Administration of this part of eastern Croatia (UNTAES), local authorities and local Serb representatives. This delegation of the Council of Europe arrived in Croatia to see whether the country complies with obligations undertaken by its admission to the full membership of the Council of Europe. After the tour of the Danube area, one of the Council of Europe rapporteurs, Gunar Jansson, said that they had noticed progress in this region and that they were pleased. During the talks with county and local authorities, the delegation's head, Guido de Marco, said the Council of Europe admired great steps forward made by Croatia. The delegation was also interested in the developments following the elections in the Danube area, in the establishment of trust, the return of the displaced as well as in the cooperation with UNTAES. Local authorities' representatives told them that all bodies of authority in the Danube area had been constituted in line with the April municipal election results and that county authorities and the Croatian Government gave money for the functioning of local authorities. Speaking about the return of the displaced, Vukovar-Sirmium County Prefect, Rudolf Koenig, pointed to the problem of Serbs dwelling in Croats' houses in the Danube area. He also stressed the problems regarding the issuance of the UNTAES entrance permit papers for Croatian exiled people who want to enter the area. After a closed-door meeting with the Serb Democratic Independent Party (SDSS) President and an MP, Vojislav Stanimirovic, and the president of joint council of municipalities, Milos Vojnovic, the Council of Europe delegation's head Guido de Marco, pointed out the importance of the Government's recently adopted programme for the establishment of trust and said to reporters that he hoped that it would be implemented. (hina) jn mš 111849 MET oct 97