VUKOVAR-EU COMPLETES RECONSTRUCTION OF 102 FLATS

( Editorial: --> 8119 ) VUKOVAR, July 16 (Hina)- The European Union on Thursday handed 102 flats in three newly reconstructed residential buildings in Vukovar to the tenants. Thus, the total number of flats that the EU reconstructed in Vukovar reached 250. The reconstruction of 102 flats and the Vukovar port cost 4.3 million DEM, which have been pooled between the EU and the Dutch and Swedish governments. Since 1996, when it started supporting reconstruction projects in Croatia, the EU has invested approx. 60 million DEM in western and eastern Slavonia. The ribbon was ceremoniously opened by the special envoy of the EU to Croatia Per Vinther, the Vukovar-Srijem prefect Rudolf Koenig, the mayor of Vukovar Vladimir Stengl and a representative of the tenants whose flats have been reconstructed. They expressed a hope that a conference on reconstruction and development, scheduled for October, would trigger an investment cycle necessary for a quick normalisation of the situation in eastern Croatia. Reference to that, the prefect Koenig said that by the end of the year Croatia would repair 1,000 houses and 1,500 flats in Vukovar. (Hina) jn mr 162055 MET jul 98