TWO-DAY MEETING ON RETURN OF REFUGEES CLOSES IN SARAJEVO

( Editorial: --> 8289 ) SARAJEVO, Dec 14 (Hina) - The Assembly of the "Coalition for Return", which ended a two-day session in Sarajevo on Sunday, supported a proposal that 1998 be declared the year of the return of all Bosnian refugees. The assembly, which brought together more than 200 organisations of Bosnian refugees, also supported a comprehensive plan of return to central Bosnia. The association urged the Office of the High Representative and other international organisations in Bosnia-Herzegovina to exert additional pressure on the authorities of municipalities obstructing the return process. The Coalition for Return demanded dismissal of officials in municipalities not allowing refugees to return and called on the international community to exert pressure on the governments of neighbouring countries to remove negative influences. Deputy High Representative Hans Schumacher welcomed the conclusions of the assembly, particularly its willingness to support a plan for the return of refugees to central Bosnia. He expressed disappointment at the fact that the assembly did not analyse the problem of return of refugees to the Sarajevo area. All refugees should be treated equally, and Sarajevo as capital should be an example to all municipalities in resolving the problem of the return of refugees, Schumacher told a news conference in Sarajevo. The German diplomat said that he had relayed a clear message to Bosnian Serb President Biljana Plavsic at a meeting on Saturday that the first test of the willingness of the new Bosnian Serb government to cooperate with the international community would be the problem of the return of minority refugees. He announced that a new deputy would be appointed in the Office of the High Representative to work exclusively on the return of refugees and that the department already dealing with this issue would be considerably strengthened. Schumacher confirmed that his office would use all powers at its disposal to remove all obstacles to the return process, including dismissal of officials responsible for obstruction. (hina) vm 141918 MET dec 97