SECOND ANNIVERSARY OF REINTEGRATION AGREEMENT MARKED IN ERDUT ( Editorial: --> 0251 )

( Editorial: --> 0251 ) ERDUT, Nov 12 (Hina) - The second anniversary of the signing of the Basic Agreement on the Peaceful Reintegration of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem, known as the Erdut agreement, was marked in this eastern Croatian town on Wednesday by unveiling a memorial plaque written in the Croatian and Serbian languages. The Erdut agreement was signed on November 12, 1995 by the Croatian President's Chief of Staff, Hrvoje Sarinic, local Serb representative Milan Milanovic, Swedish diplomat Thorwald Stoltenberg on behalf of the UN and the EU, and US Ambassador to Croatia Peter Galbraith. The memorial plaque, placed in the yard of the Erdut castle in front of the Tree of Peace planted on the first anniversary of the agreement, was jointly unveiled by Sarinic, member of the Serb Independent Democratic Party in the Croatian Parliament and Deputy Chairman of the National Committee for the establishment of inter- ethnic trust Vojislav Stanimirovic, Galbraith, Stoltenberg, UN Transitional Administrator of the Croatian Danube region William Walker and head of the Erdut municipality Stevan Babic. Before unveiling the plaque, Sarinic told the ceremony that the decision of the Croatian leadership to reintegrate the Danube region in a peaceful way was a historic decision. "It took courage and wisdom to halt the war victories and reintegrate this area peacefully. That decision saved many young lives and offered all Croatian citizens an opportunity to turn themselves from war to peace," Sarinic said. Recalling that 13,850 people had died for Croatia and that the fate of 2,197 was still unknown, Sarinic said that it had been estimated that a two-day military operation in the Danube region would have cost between 1.5 and 1.7 billion German marks in damage. On the other hand, he added, the overall costs of peaceful reintegration has so far amounted to about 2.5 billion kuna (about DM 714 million), "which shows that peaceful reintegration is a better way." In his message to the Serb community in Croatia, Sarinic said: "Let us all face the past wisely and bravely, and let us do our utmost to turn a new page." Sarinic called on the Serbs to join other citizens in building Croatia as a law-governed state, stressing that "closing in ghettos is counterproductive." Galbraith said that the Croatian Danube region was an inseparable part of Croatia, adding that the peaceful reintegration process was over. Noting that the Erdut agreement contained permanent provisions, such as those on human rights, equality and the free choice of a place of residence, Galbraith stressed that Croatia's integration into Western institutions would depend on its compliance with those long-term commitments. Stoltenberg and Walker conveyed similar messages. Stanimirovic recalled what had been achieved in the peaceful reintegration process, assessing that the two-way return of refugees and displaced persons should be speeded up, that compensation for property should be improved and that those wishing to stay in the region should be allowed to do so. Stanimirovic also said that the protection of human rights should be improved and that the UN-administered region should be economically revived. He urged resolution of the problem of the legal status of the Joint Council of Serb-dominated municipalities in the region. The ceremony was attended by the Croatian President's Deputy Chief of Staff and Chairwoman of the National Trust Establishment Committee, Parliament Deputy Speaker Jadranka Kosor, Reconstruction and Development Minister Jure Radic, former UN Transitional Administrator Jacques Klein, Yugoslav Ambassador to Croatia Veljko Knezevic, Serb National Council Chairman Milorad Pupovac and Chairman of the Joint Council of Municipalities Milos Vojnovic. (hina) vm jn 121914 MET nov 97