$ MES IN OSIJEK OSIJEK, March 28 (Hina) - After almost six years, six displaced Croat women from the village of Sarvas, on Thursday visited their homes. Ten Serb women from Osijek, who are now living in Baranja, visited their homes in
Osijek as well. The visits were organised by the Civil Sector Department of the United Nations Transitional Administration in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem (UNTAES) and the Government Office of the transitional administration for the establishment of Croatian authority in eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem.
HO
$ MES IN OSIJEK
OSIJEK, March 28 (Hina) - After almost six years, six displaced
Croat women from the village of Sarvas, on Thursday visited their
homes. Ten Serb women from Osijek, who are now living in Baranja,
visited their homes in Osijek as well. The visits were organised by
the Civil Sector Department of the United Nations Transitional
Administration in Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem
(UNTAES) and the Government Office of the transitional
administration for the establishment of Croatian authority in
eastern Slavonia, Baranja and western Srijem. #L#
At a press conference which was held after the visit, the
displaced Croat women spoke of their impressions of the visit to
Sarvas. The conference was also attended by the head of the
Croatian Government Office, Ivica Vrkic, the head of the Osijek
County Association of Displaced, Tomo Povreslo, vice president of
the Osijek City Council, Tihomir Salajic, and the exiled head of
the Sarvas Municipal Committee, Marko Samardzic.
The head of the Government Office, Ivica Vrkic, thanked the
Temporary Administrator of the U.N. Transitional Administration in
Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Srijem, General Jacques Klein and his
associates for enabling the displaced women to visit their homes in
Sarvas. At the same time, the Serb women from Baranja were able to
visit their homes in Osijek, Vrkic said. Today's visits followed
the last week's visit of displaced Croat women to their homes in
occupied Baranja villages.
The visits were of great importance for the process of
peaceful reintegration, Vrkic said, adding that 'doors to the
occupied areas are being opened slowly'.
The displaced Croat women from Sarvas spoke about their
impressions of the visit, stressing that there had not been any
incidents. Sarvas was almost completely destroyed, they said,
adding that there was almost not a single Croat house in the
village that was whole.
Mirjana Cerina, one of the displaced Sarvas residents, said
that she was particularly touched by her meeting with the local
Serb women.
Before the war, Sarvas had 1820 residents. Majority of them
were Croat. There are 750 Serbs living currently in Sarvas. Some
hundred Serbs have settled recently.
The press conference was also addressed by Phillip Corwin,
head of the UNTAES civil affairs department in Beli Manastir, who
spoke about the visit of the Serb women to Osijek and their
impressions.
He expressed satisfaction with the fact that the visit was
'extremely successful and friendly'. The Serb women visited their
houses and talked to their neighbours and friends.
Corwin thanked the Croat and Serb sides who participated in
the preparations for today's visits as well as the Croatian police.
'There is great interest in such visits on both sides and they
will continue', Corwin said.
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