VRTKIC RECEIVES "OPEN SOCIETY" FUND DEPUTY DIRECTOR

OSIJEK, Nov 15 (Hina) - Head of the Croatian government office for the establishment of Croatian authority in the occupied area of eastern Croatia, Ivica Vrkic, on Friday received the deputy director of the "Open Society" fund, Robert Kushen, and executive director of the Croatian Helsinki Committee, Vjekoslav Magas. Vrkic informed them about the process of peaceful reintegration, stressing that around 100,000 Croatian displaced persons were the most threatened group of people in the area. Kushen expressed interest in the programme of return of Serbs. He said that Croatian authorities should enable all Serbs to return and only then take measures of prosecution against those who had committed crimes. Vrkic agreed to that, adding that a part of Serbs would not return or remain in Croatia out of moral reasons, as they had violated Croatian laws or committed crimes. Vrkic said that human rights would best be protected when the Croatian constitutional and legal system was established in the whole country. (Hina) lm jn 151724 MET nov 96