CROATIA PROPOSES MEETING OF CRO ARMY AND SERB PARAMILITARIES, NOBI

NOBI $ LO SAYS WASHINGTON, May 8 (Hina) - On Monday Croatia's Ambassador to the United Nations, Mario Nobilo, sent a letter to the UN Security Council's chairman, Ambassador Jean Bernard Merimee, in which he informed Mr. Merimee that "the Croatian Government proposed to the Special Representative of the Secretary-General Mr. Yasushi Akashi that the representatives of the Croatian Army meet with the representatives of the Serbian paramilitary forces from the occupied territories under his auspices, in order to defuse the tensions in ZOS of former Sectors South, North and East." "With regard to the situation in the western Slavonia, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that the Diplomatic Corps have joined today the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Croatia Dr. Mate Granic in touring the area. All the efforts are being made to normalize the life on the liberated territories: the railway-line Zagreb-Vinkovci reopened, the radio- station at Okucani is operating, and schools are opened; health, medical and social insurance has been extended to all the citizens in western Slavonia; a one-time individual financial grant to help all persons in need on the liberated territories has been appropriated by the Government; further grants and loans for rebuilding of destroyed property are being prepared," the letter read. "The competent authorities of the Croatian Government have in total detained 1474 suspected members of Serbian paramilitary forces after the liberation of the occupied territory in western Slavonia. They have been taken - under supervision of EUMM and ICRC - to three processing centres in the adjacent areas: Varazdin, Pozega and Bjelovar, for registration and questioning," according to the letter. "As of 10:00 hrs local time today, criminal investigative process against 105 of them has been initiated; 554 have been released, and Abolition Act has been applied to them; a total of 816 remain in Varazdin and Bjelovar. Detention center in Pozega has been closed. Law enforcement authorities continue their processing of the remaining suspected members of Serbian paramilitary forces in the continued presence of EUMM, UNCRO and ICRC, and are expected to complete their task within several days. The Republic of Croatia remains committed to the full and speedy implementation of the mandate of Untied Nations Confidence Restoration Operation in Croatia, aimed at peaceful reintegration of the occupied territories into Croatia. In this regard, we remain ready to continue negotiation on the implementation of the relevant Security Council resolution with the representatives of the local authorities in Knin," the letter concluded. (hina) mm mms 082239 MET may 95