CROATIAN DEFENCE AND INTERIOR MINISTERS VISIT VUKOVAR

VUKOVAR/OSIJEK, Jan 21 (Hina) - Croatian Defence Minister Gojko Susak and Interior Minister Ivan Penic on Tuesday visited the eastern town of Vukovar where they met UN Transitional Administrator General Jacques Klein for talks on the progress of the peaceful reintegration of the Danube region into Croatia. On return from Vukovar, Susak told reporters at Osijek airport that the visit to the region and the talks with Klein were successful. He added that the peaceful reintegration process was proceeding according to plan. Recalling that local elections would be held on March 16, Susak said: "I can say with full optimism that the UNTAES mandate will terminate on July 15 and that Croatia will gain control of its overall territory." He said that Penic and UNTAES officials had discussed the reorganization of the transitional police force, whose commander should be a Croat as of May 1. Speaking of the elections, Susak said that the residents of the UN-administered region who had lived there in 1991 as well as those who had taken up residence in the area until January 15 this year would be entitled to vote. "We have sent a message to the local population that no other solution than the one which has been agreed can be implemented in this area. The international community and Croatia share the views on this point. We have ways and means to carry it out," Susak said. Susak said that it would be in the interests of the local Serb population to cooperate and become equal citizens of Croatia. Penic said that the Croatian government would insist on including in the transitional police members of other ethnic communities who had lived in the area before the war. Penic announced the formation of a special police force two- thirds of whose members would be Croats and representatives of other non-Serb communities. Croatia would start controlling the Danube river on February 15 to prevent illegal border crossings, Penic said, adding that Klein would inform the Belgrade government about it. The Croatian delegation also included Croatian Information Service Director Miroslav Tudjman, Military Police Department Chief Major General Mate Lausic and Assistant Interior Minister Josko Moric. (hina) vm jn 211941 MET jan 97