KLEIN SATISFIED WITH DEMILITARIZATION OF OCCUPIED EASTERN CROATIA

VUKOVAR, June 21 (Hina) - The UN transitional administrator for the Serb-occupied areas of eastern Croatia, U.S. General Jacques Klein, on Friday expressed satisfaction with the demilitarization of the areas, stressing that there had been no incidents in the process. Speaking at a news conference in the occupied Danube river town of Vukovar, Klein described the completion of demilitarization as the end of the military phase and the beginning of economic reconstruction of the region in the process of restoring it under Croatian government rule. He thanked Croatian General Djuro Decak and Serb General Dusan Loncar for cooperation. Klein recalled that since he took office on Janaury 15, the Zagreb-Belgade motorway, a border crossing between Croatia and Yugoslavia and the Adriatic oil pipeline had been opened and telephone service had been restored between Baranja and Vukovar and the rest of Croatia. The US general said that 72,000 out of 75,000 hectares of land in the Danube river valley was cultivated, which showed that the peasants who had tilled it meant to stay there. Klein announced that Croatian, Serb and UN representatives would sign a document confirming the completion of demilitarization on June 27. General Schoups would sign it on behalf of the UN Transitional Administration (UNTAES), he added. As further priorities, Klein cited the opening of a road between Osijek and Vukovar and the removal of mines from the Drava river to open this important waterway. The first train from Vinkovci, Croatia, to Sid, Serbia, leaves on June 27 and I'll be on it, he said. Speaking of the amnesty law passed by the Croatian parliament, Klein said that he had proposed that the Croatian government publish a list of those to whom the law did not apply, which would mean that all others were granted amnesty. He added that this would contribute to a psychological stability. Klein confirmed that a joint Croat-Serb police force, which had been trained in Budapest, would start work as of July 1. He added that there were no troops along the lines of separation as of Thursday. The return of refugees would begin in line with an agreement with the Croatian government, Klein said, adding that there were pilot projects for return of Croats to eastern Croatia and Serbs to the Western Slavonia region. Klein said that demobilized soldiers should be given employment, adding that there were also plans for economic reintegration of the region. Croatian reporters attending the press conference were not allowed to make a tour of Vukovar. (hina) vm mm 211806 MET jun 96