SEKS AND ZUZUL ASK CROATIAN AMERICANS FOR SUPPORT TO CROATIA

WASHINGTON, Jan 20(Hina) - Croatian Parliament President Vladimir Seks and Foreign Minister Miomir Zuzul have requested support from Croatian Americans in efforts to strengthen relations with the United States and win US support for Croatia's aspirations to join Euro-Atlantic institutions, particularly NATO.#L# Seks and Zuzul are currently in Washington at the invitation of the US Congress, their first official visit to the US after the parliamentary election last November. On Tuesday, they are scheduled to attend a session of Congress at which US President George W. Bush will deliver a state-of-the-nation address. In a letter to Seks on January 15, several Congressmen, including Dana Rohrabacher, George Radanovich, Todd Tiahrt and Steve Chabot, welcomed the attendance of the two Croatian officials at the session of Congress. They extended their greetings to Prime Minister Ivo Sanader and expressed hope that the US and Croatia would continue strengthening bilateral relations. Seks and Zuzul met representatives of the Croatian community in the United States at a reception given by Ambassador Ivan Grdesic on Monday. Zuzul said at the reception at the Croatian Embassy in Washington that Croatia was facing two major tasks of joining the European Union and NATO, in which it expected support from the Croatian Americans. Zuzul said that it was great recognition to receive an invitation to attend a session of Congress at which the US president would deliver a speech on the state of the nation. It shows that "the United States is ready to take a big step forward in its relations with Croatia," he added. Seks and Zuzul are due to meet a number of Congressmen and Senators on Tuesday and Wednesday. A meeting with a State Department representative is also expected. "Our message at those meetings will be that we are ready for friendly and good relations with the US," the Croatian foreign minister said. Zuzul said that Croatia and the United States could be partners because they had common interests. "Our main message will be our request for admission into NATO," Zuzul said, adding that other topics concerning relations between the two countries would also be discussed. Seks said that bilateral meetings would "deepen ties between the two countries," mainly between the US Congress and the Croatian Sabor. Seks said that Croatia would cooperate with Croatian Americans so that they could act as "a strong democratic Croatian lobby in the US in order to ensure that Croatian interests are better recognised and represented and that Croatia has effective support for its admission into Euro-Atlantic institutions." Seks said that Croatia expected Croatian Americans to increase investment in its economy. (Hina) vm