UNICEF TO EXPAND ITS PROGRAMMES ON CRO DANUBIAN AREA

ZAGREB, July 8 (Hina) - UNICEF plans to include the Croatian Danubian area in its Croatian programmes for the protection of children, Croatian vice premier Ivica Kostovic said in Zagreb on Monday, after talks with UNICEF regional director for countries of Central and Eastern Europe, John Donohue. UNICEF was interested in programmes which would help children living in the Croatian Danubian area as well as displaced children who would return there, Kostovic said. Donohue said UNICEF had a lasting interest to solve problems of all children in Croatia. Kostovic said cooperation between Croatia and UNICEF had so far been very successful, adding that their programmes were of very high quality. He added that cooperation in the Danubian area was a problem for the Croatian government, since that area was still not included in Croatia's system. "Croatian ministries, especially those of education and health, will be very cooperative and try to solve all problems which will arise, both during the return of displaced persons and the reconstruction of civil life in the area", Kostovic concluded. (hina) ha 081748 MET jul 96