CROATIAN AMBASSADOR ADDRESSES UNHCR SESSION ON REFUGEE RETURNS

GENEVA, Oct 14 (Hina) - Croatia's Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, Darko Bekic, addressed an annual session of the Executive Committee of the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) on Tuesday on efforts undertaken by the Croatian government to return refugees and displaced persons from Croatia to their homes. Addressing UN High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata and members of the Executive Committee, Bekic said that in the area of former Yugoslavia a significant number of returns of members of the ethnic minorities could be noticed only in Croatia. He added that refugees were returning to Croatia independently or through the organisation of the UNHCR and the Croatian government. Bekic recalled that Croatia was still caring for 150,000 refugees from Bosnia-Herzegovina. The success of the reintegration of the Croatian Danube region and coexistence in that area depends also on the possibility for displaced persons to return to their homes there, the Croatian diplomat said. Administrative, economic and political measures taken by the Croatian government speak clearly of its determination to ensure to all of its citizens life in conformity with the highest democratic standards, he added. Bekic said that Croatia had invested over $1.7 billion in the reconstruction of the Danube region and other reintegrated areas, noting that only two per cent of that sum had been provided by the international community. Stressing that economic reconstruction was crucial for the permanent return of displaced persons, Bekic appealed to the UNHCR and the international community to participate in the economic reconstruction of Croatia in the interest of permanent and humane return of all of its citizens to their homes. (hina) vm 141825 MET oct 97