CROATIA READY TO START RECONSTRUCTION OF DANUBIAN AREA

ZAGREB, Feb 28 (Hina) - Croatian Reconstruction and Development Minister Jure Radic on Wednesday received a delegation of the European Mission for fact-finding in eastern Slavonia. The talks centered on the programme of reconstruction and on the return of displaced persons to the Croatian Danubian area. Croatia was ready to start reconstruction of the villages of Nijemci and Jarmin, which had been chosen for a pilot-programme of return, Radic said. Radic recalled that Croatia was caring for some 75,000 displaced from the Croatian Danubian area. Another 25,000 Croatian displaced were accommodated in other European countries, he added. Croatia had accepted to reconstruct houses for returnees and their reconstruction would be financed from the state budget, the Croatian minister said. Around one billion German marks had been allocated for the reconstruction, and only five per cent of the money came from the international community. Means which Croatia had provided were used for the reconstruction of 26,000 houses outside eastern Slavonia and it would be good if the international community could help the programme of reconstruction of eastern Slavonia, Radic said. The head of the European Commission delegation, Renatto Batti, who yesterday visited the occupied Croatian town of Vukovar, said that needs for reconstruction were great. 'We will have to choose priorities in the reconstruction and our guiding idea would be to reconstruct those facilities which would help bring closer people from that area', Batti said. (hina) rm jn 281625 MET feb 96