OSIJEK PREFECT HOLDS TALKS WITH BILJE MUNICIPALITY HEAD

OSIJEK, August 9 (Hina) - Osijek Prefect Branimir Glavas on Friday visited the seat of the Bilje municipality in exile in Osijek where he talked with that municipality's head Darko Varga. Varga told Glavas that, as part of a pilot project for the return to Bilje, the Croatian Ministry of Reconstruction and Development would give 62 million kunas for the first phase of the reconstruction, to be spent on the reconstruction of houses and as support to the moving in, as well as contributing to a partial reconstruction of the Bilje infrastructure. According to UNTAES, there were 325 inhabitants of Serb nationality in Bilje who expressed the desire to return to their former residence in Croatia, said Varga. Glavas severely condemned an initiative of the Osijek County Union of Displaced Persons which attempted an organized visit to Bilje, pointing out that "such activities directed by (those) who try to manipulate with displaced persons can only harm the overall efforts of the Croatian leadership in the process of peaceful reintegration". (hina) ha 091545 MET aug 96