MINISTER PICULA OPENS NEW OFFICES OF CROATIAN FRIENDSHIP SOCIETIES

ZAGREB, Jan 8 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Tonino Picula on Tuesday evening opened the new offices of friendship societies established by Croatia and a number of foreign countries in Zagreb. The new offices of the Co-ordinating Body of Croatian Friendship Societies, which will host 117 friendship societies, are located in Zagreb's Bogoviceva Street. Opening the offices, Picula stressed the contribution of friendship societies to "bringing Croatia closer to the world and the world to Croatia." Parliament Speaker Zlatko Tomcic's representative and chairman of the Parliament Foreign Affairs Committee, Zdravko Tomac, said the work of friendship societies showed Croatia wanted to actively develop friendly relations with all countries in the world. The chairman of the Executive Committee of the Co-ordinating Body of Croatian Friendship Societies, Stjepan Heimer, said the societies were operating as voluntary, non-government associations and were proof that the Croatian society was democratic and open. He particularly stressed the societies' role in the Homeland War, when Croatia and its independence needed promotion. Guests at the opening ceremony were Czech, Chinese and Russian ambassadors to Croatia. The ceremony was attended by Zagreb mayor Milan Bandic, who handed over the offices on behalf of the City of Zagreb. Present were also numerous parliamentary deputies, the head of the Croatian parliamentary delegation at the Council of Europe, Mirjana Feric-Vac, and a member of the Co-ordinating Body of Croatian Friendship Societies and Prime Minister Ivica Racan's wife Dijana Plestina. (hina) sb rml