RAILROADS IN CRO DANUBE REGION REINTEGRATED INTO CRO RAILWAY SYSTE M

M VUKOVAR, June 6 (Hina) - Representatives of Croatian Railways, UNTAES and local Serbs on Friday signed an agreement on the reintegration of the railroads in the Croatian Danube region into the Croatian railroad system. The agreement was signed by the deputy manager general of Croatian Railways, Djurica Misin, deputy UN transitional administrator for eastern Slavonia Souren Seraydarian, and on behalf of local Serbs by Stevo Novakovic, a member of a former self-styled local government. "Control has been established today throughout Croatia's railroad system", said Misin, adding that war damages on railroads and the infrastructure in the Danube region amounted to 150 million German marks. He expected the World Bank to assist in the reconstruction and assessed the signing of the agreement as important. Croatia also wanted the opening of border crossings to Hungary, Bosnia-Herzegovina and the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Misin added. Negotiations on the reintegration of the railroad system lasted 14 months, Seraydarian recalled and assessed today's agreement signing as a very important step forward in the peaceful reintegration of Croatia's UN-administered area. UN's deputy transitional administrator also said that UNTAES possessed construction material for the building of 130 metres of railroad bridges which could be used in Croatia. In answer to journalists, Seraydarian said that 312 railway workers from the Danube region had signed work contracts with Croatian Railways. He also ascertained that UNTAES guaranteed security to Croatian Railways employees who would come to work in eastern Slavonia, and provided security for "all key bridges and points" in the area. The clearing of mines on rails was almost completed, Seraydarian said, adding that still remained the clearing of mines on both sides of the tracks, in which UNTAES would be more actively involved. (hina) ha jn 061652 MET jun 97