GERMANY GRANTS DM 5 MILLION FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF CRO DANUBE REGION

REGION VUKOVAR, July 22 (Hina) - An economic recovery will step up the return of refugees to the Danube region of eastern Croatia, and to this effect the German Federal Government allocated five million German marks to credit small and medium-sized enterprise in that region, representative at the German Federal Parliament Irmgard Schwaetzer said in Vukovar on Tuesday. The mentioned five million is part of a 30 million loan granted to Croatia, she told reporters after talks with the head of the Centre for the Development and Reconstruction of the Croatian Danube Region, Ivan Krstanovic, and the prefect of the Vukovar-Srijem County, Rudolf Koenig. It is very important to revive small and medium-sized enterprise which could become the basis of the Danube region's economic development, Schwaetzer said. Those interested in loans could inquire about them in banks as of today, she added, recalling that other financial stimulation to the Croatian Danube region on Germany's part will be possible "only if all in that area shall have equal rights, and if a multi-ethnic society comes to life". According to prefect Koenig, today's talks also focused on German investments in larger economic systems in the Croatian Danube region. (hina) ha mm 221522 MET jul 97