FRANCE BACKS PEACEFUL REINTEGRATION OF CROATIAN DANUBIAN AREA

OSIJEK, March 4 (Hina) - The head of the Croatian Government's office for the Croatian Danubian area, Ivica Vrkic, on Tuesday held talks with French Ambassador to Croatia Jean-Jacques Gaillard and French Foreign Ministry director for Europe, Paul Poudade, on the process of peaceful reintegration. Upon the Osijek talks, Paul Poudade said to reporters that after today's visit to Vukovar and talks with Vrkic they had again convinced themselves that it was "a complex project", and voiced assurances that the process of peaceful reintegration would succeed in spite of difficulties. Vrkic enjoyed support of the international community and UN Transitional Administrator General Jacques Klein, the French official said and added that France backed the process of peaceful reintegration and the restoration of Croatian rule in the area. Speaking of impressions from Vukovar, Poudade said Vukovar was most painful town, even "more painful than Sarajevo or eastern Mostar." He voiced hope that such Vukovar never happened again. (hina) jn mš 041820 MET mar 97