CROATIAN RECONSTRUCTION MINISTER VISITS DANUBIAN AREA

VUKOVAR, March 8 (Hina) - Croatian Reconstruction and Development Minister Jure Radic, on Saturday toured the Croatian Danubian area under UN Transitional Administration. Minister Radic visited Borovo where the European Union is financing some reconstruction projects. He also visited a power- generating plant in Vukovar and after that he met Transitional Administrator, Jacques Klein, and a European Commission reconstruction advisor, Didier Fau, at the UNTAES headquarters in the town. After the meeting Klein said they had talked about the future and reconstruction of the area and the return of displaced people. He added that Minister Radic had expounded his proposal of the Croatian Government's investment in the Danubian area. Klein also said that it was necessary to find a way and programme which would enable all displaced people to return to their places of residence as well as financial support to ensure it. "Reconstruction of the Danubian area is to begin these weeks, and the Croatian State regards as its priority the creation of conditions for the return of all displaced persons to the area. We are ready to begin with a programme of reconstruction of 5,000 houses and flats this month, from Lipovac to the north of Baranja, with special emphasis on Vukovar," Croatian Minister Radic said. Radic said the international community's additional support to implementation of reconstruction programmes was expected from donors' conference, due to be held in Zagreb next week. He reminded that 360 million kuna (about US$ 58 million) were ensured in the state budget for initial works in the reconstruction. But, he said, he also expected that about one billion kuna might be invested in reconstruction of houses and flats in the Croatian Danubian area this year. Besides houses and infrastructure reconstruction, construction of a Danube-Sava canal was being prepared, he added. (hina) mš 081555 MET mar 97