VAN DER STOEL HOLDS TALKS WITH VUKOVAR COUNTY OFFICIALS

( Editorial: --> 8173 ) VUKOVAR, April 20 (Hina) - A high-ranking Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) official visited Vukovar on Monday for talks with county and Serb minority representatives. Following discussions in the eastern Croatian city, OSCE High Commissioner on National Minorities Max van der Stoel told reporters he had talked with Independent Serb Democratic Party (SDSS) president Vojislav Stanimirovic about the reasons for the departure of Serbs from the Croatian Danube River region. He said he had discussed different aspects of reconstruction and economic revival and the two-way return process with Vukovar- Srijem County Prefect Rudolf Koenig and his deputy Mirko Jagetic. Van der Stoel expressed hope that Serbs remaining in the Danube region would not make any hasty decisions to leave the area. Koenig said he had explained to the OSCE High Commissioner the situation in the Danube region, especially the economy and reconstruction. He pointed out that Croatia did not have enough money in its state budget to rebuild every home requiring reconstruction within a short period of time. That was why the international community had to be more involved in reconstruction of the Croatian Danube region, the prefect said. He also emphasised that economic difficulties were not of a national character, as unemployment was affecting both Croats and Serbs. (Hina) mb /ha 201803 MET apr 98