CROATIAN GOVT OFFICIALS ATTEND EASTER MASS IN OCCUPIED ILOK

ZAGREB, Apr 8 (Hina) - The Easter mass was celebrated on Sunday in the Catholic parish church of St. Ivan Kapistran in occupied Ilok in eastern Slavonia. The mass was attended by Deputy Prime Minister Ivica Kostovic and the head of the Government Office for the establishment of Croatian authority in the Danubian area, Ivica Vrkic. Also present were UNTAES representatives - including Temporary Administrator Jacques Klein, his deputy Derek Boothby and UNTAES commander Jozef Schoups - and the diplomatic corps accredited in Croatia, including British Ambassador G. Hewitt, Russia's L. Kerestediants, France's J.J. Gaillarde, Hungary's Z. Szalay and the Ukraine's A. Shostak. "The mass was organised by Gen. Klein as a religious and ecumenical event but also as an important step toward the peaceful reintegration of occupied Croatian areas," Kostovic told Hina upon return to Zagreb on Sunday evening. "The mass is also an indication of UNTAES' commitment to support the basic human rights and liberties of all inhabitants of the occupied Croatian area," he added. The congregation included 400 mostly elderly Croats currently living in Ilok and several Protestant Slovakians. A refugee from Ilok currently living in Opatija played the organ. The event was secured by local Serb police in cooperation with Belgian police. "This is the first time since the beginning of the Serb aggression against Croatia that a senior Croatian state official attends a non-political and non-military event in the occupied area," Kostovic said. "The Croatian Government welcomes the UNTAES initiative as an important steps toward the peaceful reintegration of Croatian areas, remaining committed to the Basic Agreement on Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem," he said. It was agreed that the Orthodox Easter mass would be celebrated in occupied Dalj next Sunday, Kostovic announced. (hina) as 081233 MET apr 96