SERB PARTY WELCOMES CROATIAN GOVERNMENT DECISIONS

ZAGREB, Jan 4 (Hina) - A Croatian Serb leader on Thursday supported views of the Presidential Council on the rule of law in Croatia, a government decision to leave open the time limit for exiled Serbs to reclaim their property and President Tudjman's decision to grant amnesty to more than 450 citizens of Serb nationality arrested after Croatian military operations in May and August last year. "These decisions by the Croatian authorities are encouraging and we welcome them because they will contribute to the normalization of Croatian-Serbian relations," Independent Serb Party (SSS) leader Milorad Pupovac told a press conference in Zagreb. Pupovac hailed a previoulsy announced visit by Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic to Belgrade, stressing the need for consular missions to be opened in the two capitals. (hina) vm mm 041530 MET jan 96