HOUSING OF SERB REFUGEES IS CONDITION FOR RETURN OF DISPLACED CROA

CROA $ TS - UNHCR ZAGREB, Sept 16 (Hina) - The housing of Serbs now living in the houses of Croats displaced from the Croatian Danubian area during the Serbian occupation was the condition for the return of those displaced Croats, special envoy of the U.N. High Commission for Refugees from the Former Yugoslavia, Soeren Jessen-Petersen, said in Zagreb on Monday. He and Croatian vice-premier Ivica Kostovic today held talks on the implementation of UNHCR's pilot programme for the return of displaced Croats to Bilje, Ernestinovo and Antunovac, villages in the area under the U.N. transitional administration. A problem arose with the return to Bilje, which had been settled by Serbs. Some of those Serbs could not regain their property nor return to their homes, since their property had been destroyed or occupied in line with some Croatian laws, Jessen-Petersen said. Serb refugees living in the houses of displaced Croats must be given back their property or some compensation, so as to avoid new refugees after the return of Croats to the Danubian area, Jessen- Petersen said. He added that UNHCR would deliver its written proposals for the solution to that issue to the Croatian government. Kostovic said that mutual exchange of property proceeded regardless of agreements between governments. The return to Ernestinovo and Antunovac could not be expected before spring, since it was impossible to provide housing conditions in a short period of time, Kostovic said, adding that the two villages were currently being cleared of mines. Jessen-Petersen said those problems must be solved and the return-programme completed before Christmas, since, according to him, Bilje was "an important test for the return and the building of trust". (hina) ha jn 162029 MET sep 96