UNICEF - CROATIA COOPERATION FRUITFUL - UNICEF ENVOY ( Editorial: --> 1721 )

( Editorial: --> 1721 ) ZAGREB, 18 Nov (Hina) - Over the past six years, Croatia and the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) developed fruitful cooperation in caring for children and they were currently cooperating through several dozen projects, UNICEF special envoy for Croatia Thomas McDermott said in Zagreb Tuesday. Representatives of the Croatian Government and UNICEF met Tuesday in the Croatian Foreign Ministry to consider their cooperation after the implementation of the first half of a three-year program (1996 - 1998), which UNICEF is implementing in Croatia, and to discuss future programs. Thanking for the past six years of cooperation, McDermott stressed the importance of the program the implementation of which started in Croatia during the Homeland war, and which enabled UNICEF to learn a lot and apply its experience in neighbouring countries and other world countries. The cooperation between the UNICEF Office and Croatia started in Dubrovnik in 1991. In November the same year, UNICEF opened its office in Dubrovnik, and the first three-year cooperation program was signed in August 1996. The UNICEF mission was the first international mission in Croatia, said Croatia's Foreign Minister Mate Granic who attended the meeting. "UNICEF is one of international organisations which has always successfully cooperated with the Croatian Government," Granic said. UNICEF and Croatia are currently implementing 70 projects of care for nutrition, health, education, for children living under special conditions and for children's rights. The UNICEF representatives met Tuesday morning with Croatian Vice Premier Ljerka Mintas-Hodak. According to Mintas-Hodak, special attention should be paid to the treatment of traumatised children, a national program of protection against land mines, adolescents' services, child abuse, and the reconciliation process in the zones of two-way return, especially in the Danube river region. Attending the meeting in the Foreign Ministry were also representatives of the Croatian health, education and sports ministries and the ministry of labour and social care, as well as representatives of non-government organisations. (hina) rm 181512 MET nov 97