NORWAY EXCELLS IN OFFERING HELP TO CROATIAN DANUBE AREA

VUKOVAR, Oct 7 (Hina) - Norway has invested about 40 million kuna (US$ 6.55 million) into different projects in the Croatian Danube river area so far this year and it is one of the countries that offered most help to this part of eastern Croatia and will help in the future as well, said Ivan Krstanovic, the head of the centre for the reconstruction of the area, during talks with Norwegian government officials and non-governmental organisations' representatives in Vukovar. Following Tuesday's talks, a Norwegian Foreign Ministry advisor, Tove Skarstein said that her country attached most importance to restoration of the entire life in the Danube area as Norway played a diplomatic role in the implementation of the Erdut (Basic) Agreement. Skarstein said that this Scandinavian country helped to renovate buildings and houses, schools, health institutions, the water management and the power supplies net, and that it helped the local Red Cross and NGOs in projects for the human rights protection. She added that next year her country would also earmark money for various kinds of aid to the Danube area and expressed satisfaction with the efficient way of the spending of the money, allocated by Norway, in the Danube area. "We are much grateful to Norway for help. We can only hope that other countries will help in a similar way," Krstanovic said. (hina) jn mš 071409 MET oct 97