BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4505 HINA ZAGREB, JANUARY 13

HR-BULLETIN-Politika BRIEF NEWS BULLETIN IN ENGLISH NO. 4505 HINA ZAGREB, JANUARY 13 FOREIGN MINISTER ON TENTH ANNIVERSARY OF CROATIA'S RECOGNITIONZAGREB, Jan 13 (Hina) - The recognition of Croatia's independence is one of the most important events of Croatia's whole history as national emancipation was a precondition for the political, social and every other form of emancipation of the Croatian people, Foreign Minister Tonino Picula told Hina on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Croatia's statehood. Iceland was the first to recognise independent Croatia on Dec. 19, 1991, followed by the Holy See on Jan. 13, 1992. The most important date was Jan. 15, 1992, when the member-states of the then European Community recognised independent Croatia, primarily at Germany's urging, and were followed by the rest of the world. The period of Croatia's recognition was marked by two parallel processes, said Picula. On the one hand there was the creation of national states following the break-up