SECURITY COUNCIL CONCENRED OVER SITUATION IN E.SLAVONIA

WASHINGTON, Sept 19 (Hina) - The UN Security Council expressed on Thursday its deep concern at "the lack of substantial progress by the Government of the Republic of Croatia in fulfilling the conditions and tasks that are key to the transfer of executive authority to the Republic of Croatia in the territories of Eastern Slavonia, Baranja, and Western Sirmium," according to the UN SC presidential statement. According to the statement read at a New York session by this month's president, U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson, the Security Council called upon the Croatian Government "to meet its obligations and commitments and to take immediate action" in several areas. The Croatian Government was asked to "remove all administrative and legal obstacles to the two-way return of all displaced persons as well as to the return of refugees." Croatian authorities were also requested "to ensure security and social and economic opportunity including property rights for all returnees; to take effective measures to prevent harassment of returnees; to implement measures to establish effective local government administrations; to ensure the regular payment of benefits to all pension and welfare recipients and open Croatian pension offices in the region." Croatia was asked to "ensure further economic reintegration; to initiate a country-wide public programme of national reconciliation and curb media attacks on ethnic groups; and to implement fully and fairly the Amnesty law and cooperate with the International Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia." "In this context, the Security Council notes the recent information provided by the Croatian Government on intended steps to address some of these issues and urges the Croatian Government to implement these steps without delay," the statement read. The Security Council stressed that the "prompt completion of the tasks outlined above, as well as the fulfilment by the Croatian Government of its obligations under the Basic Agreement (S/1995/951), the agreements between the Croatian Government and the United Nations Transitional Administration for Eastern Slavonia … (UNTAES) as well as the letter of the Croatian Government of 13 January 1997 (S/1997/27, annex) will determine the pace of further devolution of executive authority for the civil administration to the Croatian Government as well as further Council action." At the end of the statement the Security Council urged all parties to cooperate fully with UNTAES. (hina) mš 191040 MET sep 97