PEACEFUL REINTEGRATION OF DANUBE AREA CHIEFLY COMPLETED -GALBRAITH

VUKOVAR/VINKOVCI, Oct 18 (Hina) - U.S. Ambassador to Croatia, Peter Galbraith, said on Saturday that the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube area was chiefly completed and that he was increasingly confident that the Erdut Agreement's goals were being fulfilled. In the eastern Croatian town of Vinkovci, Galbraith held talks with Vukovar-Sirmium County Prefect, Rudolf Koenig, heads of municipalities that are under the UN Transitional Administration (UNTAES) and Croatian displaced people, whereas in Vukovar he met the president of the joint council of (Serb) municipalities, Milos Vojnovic. Talking to reporters after the Vukovar meeting, Galbraith said that great acceleration of the peaceful reintegration process was noticeable in the past month, and added that the Croatian government's constructive and positive moves such as the adoption of the trust establishment programme or annulment of some provision of the law on the temporary take-over of property helped speed up the process. The American Ambassador said that local officials like Vukovar County Prefect Koenig or the incoming Osijek-Baranja County Prefect Anica Horvat, had a positive stand on the peaceful reintegration and that both parties showed good will. Reiterating that positive changes could be noticed in the Danube area in the past weeks such an increasing number of displaced persons coming to the area to repair their homes or an increasing number of the Croatian licence plates there, Galbraith announced that the Danube area would be open as other Croatian regions as of 3 November. No entrance permit papers would be needed. Cars would be checked for arms, but no special restrictions would be imposed, Galbraith added. During his talks in Vinkovci, he expressed satisfaction with the successful implementation of the peaceful reintegration and with the fact that the two-way return was progressing well. He added that he was impressed by the work of local authorities on the re- establishment of confidence and possibilities of the co-existence. It is important not only for the Croatian Danube area but also for the whole of Croatia, the American said. He added that if Croatia wanted to join international associations such as the NATO or the European Union, it should be a tolerant, pluralistic and democratic society in which people of different opinions and nationalities could live together, leave the war behind and turn to the future. The alternative would be for Croatia to experience the fate of Yugoslavia, Galbraith said. On Saturday afternoon, the U.S. Ambassador will meet the UN Transitional Administrator for the Danube area, William Walker, and attend the farewell ceremony at the Klisa airport near Osijek before the departure of a part of UNTAES military forces. (hina) mš 181526 MET oct 97