SKARE-OZBOLT RECEIVES OSCE HIGH COMMISSIONER FOR MINORITIES

( Editorial: --> 8790 ) ZAGREB, Dec 16 (Hina) - The president of the National Committee for the restoration of trust, Vesna Skare-Ozbolt, on Tuesday received Max van der Stoel, high commissioner for national minorities of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. Skare-Ozbolt acquainted her guest with the Committee's activities to date. She said the peaceful reintegration of eastern Croatia is a long process which Croatia will continue implementing even after the UNTAES leaves on 15 January 1997. Skare-Ozbolt said the aim of the reintegration is a stepped up return of people to their homes and normalisation of living in areas of the Osijek-Baranja and Vukovar Srijem Counties which were previously under Serbian occupation and are currently under the UN transitional administration. Van der Stoel expressed satisfaction with the positive steps forward made in the reintegration of eastern Croatia and the steps the National Committee for the restoration of trust intends to take. Today's talks focused on issues concerning reconstruction, the two-way return, and ways of cooperation with the international community aimed at resolving these issues. Skare-Ozbolt informed her guest that on 15 March 1998 Croatia plans to hold a donor conference for eastern Croatia. (hina) ha jn 161545 MET dec 97