ROUND TABLE DISCUSSION ON VUKOVAR HELD IN ZAGREB

( Editorial: --> 3838 ) ZAGREB, 26 Nov (Hina) - The Association of Croatian Homeland War Volunteers (UHBDDR) on Wednesday organised a round table discussion on the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube river region in the Institute for Social Sciences 'Ivo Pilar' in Zagreb. The discussion, entitled 'About Vukovar in Vukovar - at some future date' was attended by representatives of the UHBDDR, former prisoners of Serb camps, representatives of the Institute and the Ministry of Reconstruction and Development. There can be no peaceful reintegration of the Danube river region without social integration which includes forgiveness and reconciliation, and that will not be clear until the aggressor and the victim are identified and until aggressors repent their crimes, the gathering concluded. UHBDDR President Branko Borkovic said that the meeting should have been held in Vukovar, but, he added, that was not possible for reasons already known. The aim of the meeting was to establish the role of defenders and displaced people in the process of peaceful reintegration, Borkovic said, calling for tolerance. Josip Jurcevic, scientist in the Institute 'Ivo Pilar' said that the process of peaceful reintegration should be supported. He commended the Government and UNTAES for trying to create an institutional framework for the peaceful reintegration. Peaceful reintegration could be implemented if Vukovar residents could erase their war memories from 1991, but that is impossible. That is why it is necessary to secure social integration and identify the aggressor and the victim, Jurcevic said. The international humanitarian concept failed in Vukovar on 18 November 1991, and reconciliation today has become a political necessity the whole world is expecting, wishing to see how we would do it, said Slobodan Lang, advisor on humanitarian issues of the Croatian President Franjo Tudjman. Reconciliation is not possible for now, but the establishment of trust is, said Stjepan Sterc of the Ministry for Reconstruction and Development. There can be no return of people until economy in the Danube river region is revived, which is difficult since local companies are parts of large economic systems which are located outside the Danube river region, he added. That is why the Government needs to separate the companies from those systems and start their reconstruction, said Sterc. (hina) rm 261512 MET nov 97