CROATIA TO PRESENT HOLY FATHER WITH CHRISTMAS TREE

ZAGREB, Oct 22 (Hina) - This year Croatia will present the Holy Father with a Christmas tree which will be placed in St. Peter's Square in the Vatican for Christmas holidays, the Croatian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. #L# Apart from this tree, Croatia will also give thirty smaller Christmas trees for the decoration of the Vatican's offices, reads the statement, noting the importance of the political and media dimension of the act of a state giving the Vatican a Christmas tree. This means that the country presenting the tree will send its most senior officials to the Vatican for an audience with the Holy Father. They will also meet the heads of the Roman Curia and attend the traditional cultural programme in St. Peter's Square, notes the statement. The Christmas tree, decorated with Croatian folklore ornaments, will be presented in St. Peter's Square in the presence of Croatian President Stjepan Mesic and a delegation of state officials between 17 and 21 December 2002. (hina) rml sb