CROATIAN GOVERNMENT OFFICIAL MEETS U.N. HUMAN RIGHTS ENVOY

OSIJEK, Feb 18 (Hina) - The head of the Croatian government office for the UN-administered Danube region, Ivica Vrkic, met UN human rights rapporteur Elisabeth Rehn in the eastern city of Osijek on Tuesday. Rehn told reporters after the talks that they discussed the issuing of Croatian citizenship documents to the Serbs in the region and the situation after the completion of the UNTAES mandate this summer. Also discussed was the Amnesty Act and the need to publish as soon as possible a list of people to whom this law did not apply, Rehn said, adding that she had talked about these issues with UN Transitional Administrator Jacques Klein earlier in the day. Rehn stressed that the residents of Eastern Slavonia expected some kind of international supervision to monitor the human rights situation after the departure of the UN peace-keeping force. Vrkic said that the talks focused on the current state of the process of peaceful reintegration of the region into Croatia's administrative system. Croatia was interested that this process should end as soon as possible since it would be possible to ensure the freedoms and rights of every man in the region only after its complete reintegration into Croatia, he added. Vrkic went on to say that it was necessary to fulfil all preconditions for the upcoming local elections and enable all citizens eligible to vote to exercise this right through political parties that would represent their national interests. "I think that, regardless of the problems which are still emerging, we are in the final stage and that thanks to the good cooperation with General Klein and individual members of the local government, we will end this process according to the expectations of the majority of the people in the area," Vrkic said. (hina) vm 182056 MET feb 97