ZAGREB, Nov 27 (Hina) - The main achievement of the process of reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area into the Croatian constitutional and legal system was that it was proceeding in a peaceful manner and that Croatia had shown
itself to be an important factor in the solution of the issue, Croatian Deputy Prime Minister and government representative at the UN Transitional Administration, Ivica Kostovic, said in his address to the Croatian Parliament House of Representatives on Wednesday.
ZAGREB, Nov 27 (Hina) - The main achievement of the process of
reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area into the Croatian
constitutional and legal system was that it was proceeding in a
peaceful manner and that Croatia had shown itself to be an
important factor in the solution of the issue, Croatian Deputy
Prime Minister and government representative at the UN Transitional
Administration, Ivica Kostovic, said in his address to the Croatian
Parliament House of Representatives on Wednesday. #L#
"The Croatian government especially appreciates the fact that
the international community and UNTAES respected Croatia's basic
goal, ruling out any kind of political autonomy in the area,"
Kostovic said.
He described elections, which are arranged to take place in
early spring next year, most probably in March, as a crucial event.
Discussing what has been accomplished so far, Kostovic said
that the UNTAES had managed to disarm 16,000 members of Serb para-
military forces and that UNTAES, with the cooperation of the
Croatian Interior Ministry, had begun to buy up weapons from local
residents.
The transitional police had been established, in which there
were almost 300 Croatian police officers, Kostovic said, adding
that their numbers were expected to increase and that Croatian
insignia would be introduced soon.
Stressing that the whole process had passed without major
incidents so far, Kostovic said that more than 5,000 Croatian
displaced persons had visited the UNTAES-administered area on All
Saints' Day.
He described as successful the programme of reconstruction in
the Srijem triangle (south of the Croatian Danubian area,
reinstated under Croatian administration on 1 November).
He added that conditions were being created for the return of
displaced persons to the Baranja triangle (south-western corner of
the UNTAES-administered area).
Kostovic said that a mine clearing programme had begun
successfully. This was the most complex task since the area is
contaminated with about 750,000 mines according to official
estimates, Kostovic said.
Other achievements were the opening of the main traffic
routes, ensuring the navigability of the river Drava, and the
expected opening of the Vinkovci-Tovarnik-Sid section of the
Zagreb-Belgrade railway, scheduled for 10 December.
Kostovic said that Croatian documents had been issued to
18,000 out of 20,000 local residents who had applied for them.
He described as significant the fact that, during talks with
Croatian authorities, local Serb representatives had recognized
Croatian sovereignty in the Danubian area.
Progress had been made in learning the whereabouts of missing
and detained Croatian soldiers and civilians, Kostovic said.
Speaking about the cooperation with UNTAES, Kostovic stressed
that UNTAES deserved commendation for its work.
As example of good cooperation between the Croatian Government
and UNTAES, Kostovic said that UNTAES had accepted that all
reconstruction programmes submitted at the donors' conference,
scheduled for December 6 in Vukovar, were to be cleared with the
Reconstruction and Development Ministry before implementation.
He stressed that an agreement had been reached with UNTAES on
introducing the kuna as currency, as well as a transitional customs
service which would also employ Croatian customs officers.
Kostovic said that the deployment of Croatian customs officers
would be carried out between 1 and 10 December.
He said it was necessary to speed up the process of enabling
Croatian public companies to have access to the Croatian Danubian
area.
(hina) lm jn
271820 MET nov 96