During his visit to Vukovar on Friday, the head of the European Commission's Delegation to Croatia, Paul Vandoren, said that the forthcoming visit of Serbian President Boris Tadic to this eastern Croatian town was important for reconciliation between the two peoples and that it was appropriate for Tadic to come to Vukovar now.
Vandoren welcomed the efforts of the Croatian authorities to rebuild housing in the formerly war-stricken areas, saying that it would facilitate the return of refugees and displaced people.
The European Union ambassador had arrived in Vukovar to attend a ceremony at which keys to five rebuilt flats were given to their tenants.
Present at the ceremony were Croatian Deputy Prime Ministers Bozidar Pankretic and Slobodan Uzelac, and representatives of the OSCE, the UNHCR, the US Embassy and the local authorities.
According to figures from the Ministry for Regional Development, 9,700 flats and houses have been rebuilt in Vukovar, and HRK 1.7 billion has been invested for this purpose.
Another 500 flats are planned for reconstruction, of which 200 are already being rebuilt.
