CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS ENVOY

ZAGREB, Oct 21 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic on Tuesday received UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights Elizabeth Rehn, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Rehn expressed satisfaction with the recent steps taken by the Croatian authorities to restore inter-ethnic trust. She assessed positively the government programme on the establishment of trust, acceleration of refugee returns and normalisation of life in the war-affected areas of Croatia and the decision to set up the National Committee for the implementation of that programme. All these positive steps forward will be cited in a report which the UN rapporteur is to submit to the UN General Assembly's Committee for Humanitarian Affairs. Granic informed Rehn about the steps being taken by the Croatian government to ensure successful completion of the UNTAES mandate, focusing on the establishment of local government in the Croatian Danube region. Regarding the overall process of peaceful reintegration of the region into Croatia, the two officials expressed satisfaction with the progress made in the past few months, which should result in a successful and timely termination of the UNTAES mandate on January 15 next year when the UN Transitional Administration is expected to be replaced by an observer mission of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE). Special attention was paid to the return of Bosnian Croat refugees to their homes in Serb-controlled areas of Bosnia-Herzegovina, and assistance was requested from the international community in solving that sensitive issue, the statement concluded. (hina) vm jn 211435 MET oct 97