BELGIUM TO PARTICIPATE IN RECONSTRUCTION OF EASTERN CROATIA

ZAGREB, Dec 21 (Hina) - Belgium will participate in the economic reconstruction of the Danube river region of eastern Croatia after the UN transitional administration in the region has made great progress in the normalization of conditions and reintegration of the region into Croatia's administrative system, Belgian Prime Minister Jean-Luc Dehaene said in Zagreb on Saturday after talks with his Croatian counterpart Zlatko Matesa. Matesa said that the reintegration process was entering a stage in which the greatest emphasis would be put on civilian normalization. Following Belgium's important political and military role in normalizing the situation in the Danube river region, now there was a strong interest of Belgian business people in participating in its economic reconstruction, Matesa said. Dehaene said that the next year, with the holding of elections and return of displaced people, would be crucial for preserving what had been achieved by political means. He noted that Belgian troops had been in Croatia as part of UN missions for almost five years. The two prime ministers expressed a hope that joint efforts by Croatia and Belgium to complete the peaceful reintegration process would lead to further strengthening of bilateral relations between the two countries and that their cooperation would be an important element for the integration of Croatia into the European Union. The Belgian delegation is scheduled to visit Belgian troops in Beli Manastir in the afternoon. They will also visit Vukovar to meet for talks with UN Transitional Administrator General Jacques Klein and other UN commanders in the region. On Sunday, the Belgian delegation will travel to Sarajevo for talks with senior government officials and will also visit Belgian troops serving in the NATO-led Stabilization Force (SFOR) at Visoko. (hina) vm 211425 MET dec 96