Ljubić – D'Errico Meeting: Vatican Concerned over Position of Croats in BIH



Minister for Human Rights and Refugees of BIH Damir Ljubić received in Sarajevo today Archbishop Alessandro D'Erico, Apostolic Nuncio in BIH, with whom he discussed the issue of return of Croats and Catholics to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

While congratulating to Minister Ljubić for his appointment, Archbishop D'Errico said that this Ministry is of a special importance for religious communities, which are interested for return refugees and displaced persons, including the issue of exercise of basic human rights.

Minister Ljubić thanked for the congratulations, and informed Apostolic Nuncio D'errico on the on-going preparations for the up-coming regional donor conference for permanent solution of the housing of refugees and displaced persons, scheduled for April 24 in Sarajevo. Minister Ljubić that this is the right time for such conference, intended to gather funds and speed-up solving the issue of refugees and displaced persons in the region, because the current political environment favours finding solution to this issue.

Apostolic Nuncio in BIH D'Errico conveyed concerns of the Holy See because of a decreased number of Croats and Catholics in Bosnia and Herzegovina and their non-return to BIH. He expressed his concern also for the fact that no funds were budgeted for 2012 for the purposes of return of refugees and displaced persons, expressing his expectations that such situation would change.

Minister Ljubić said that the return of refugees and displaced persons in a priority of the Ministry of Human Rights and Refugees in BIH, and emphasised that he is personally very committed for the inclusion in the 2012 BIH Budget of funds to support the return of refugees and displaced persons.

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