NATIONAL TRUST ESTABLISHMENT COMMITTEE HOLDS SECOND SESSION ( Editorial: --> 9684 )

( Editorial: --> 9684 ) ZAGREB, Nov 10 (Hina) - The national committee charged with restoring inter-ethnic trust, accelerating refugee returns and normalising life in the war-affected areas of Croatia held a second session in Zagreb on Monday to discuss the results achieved since the committee had been set up a month ago. "I think we have done a lot," committee chairwoman Vesna Skare- Ozbolt told reporters after the meeting. She said that the greatest attention had been focused on the UN- administered Croatian Danube region, particularly on the functioning of its main town, Vukovar, where she said good results had been achieved. "The city council has begun functioning and we are helping the city government to step up the return of displaced persons to Vukovar," Skare-Ozbolt said. She said that talks had begun with the bishop of Djakovo on the return of the Roman Catholic clergy to the region, adding that similar talks would also be held with leaders of other religious communities so that they would use their influence in efforts to restore trust among people. "Everything we have done in the establishment of trust and accelerated return is a clear sign of the political will of the Croatian government to continue, particularly after the expiry of the UNTAES mandate, with further activities aimed at normalising life, especially in the war-affected areas of Osijek and Vukovar counties," Skare-Ozbolt said. Vojislav Stanimirovic, deputy chairman of the committee and representative of the Serbs in the Danube region, said it was necessary that social welfare centres should begin working in Beli Manastir, Ilok and Vukovar as soon as possible. Stanimirovic also urged establishment of commissions within pension and disability insurance funds to solve the status and problems of disabled pensioners. Committee deputy chairman Ivica Vrkic said that the formation of trust establishment committees at municipal and county level was in the final stage. Vrkic said that standards had been set for the joint work of all members of local trust establishment committees throughout the country. By separating politics from the executive domain, we have ensured that everyday problems of all people are being solved directly on the ground, Vrkic said. Also discussed at today's meeting were problems of education in the region, and Skare-Ozbolt and Stanimirovic announced a meeting with Education Ministry officials. "We shall try to solve those problems to avoid their further politicising or a possibly tense atmosphere at the end of the UNTAES mandate," Skare-Ozbolt said. Responding to a journalist's question, Stanimirovic said that there were omissions and problems in the area of education. He said that the schools in the region had received only history books for the seventh and eighth grades, adding that the books were printed in Cyrillic script as agreed, but that "content subject to the moratorium has not been left out from those book," which he said had prompted protests among pupils' parents. He referred to a five- year moratorium on teaching 1989-1997 history. Stanimirovic said that despite positive steps forward there were also problems with the appointment of headmasters and their deputies. (hina) vm jn 101851 MET nov 97