CROATIAN REPORTERS VISIT PRESIDENT'S OFFICE

ZAGREB, Jan 23 (Hina) - The Office of the Croatian President will keep its current organisation with slight changes, which will be regulated with the existing law on the President's Office. This was said at a meeting with reporters, held at the President's Office on Tuesday, on the occasion of the first anniversary of President Stjepan Mesic's mandate. Attending the meeting with reporters were the secretary to the President's Office and advisor on national security, Zeljko Bagic, the head of the Information Service, Vjera Suman, the presidential advisor on internal affairs, Igor Dekanic, and foreign policy advisor Tomislav Jakic. The reporters were told, among else, that President Mesic advocates "as effective and cheap office as possible," that the number of presidential advisors and their assistants has been reduced from 18 to six, that "nobody has been fired because they worked for someone else before" as well as that in this regard state officials have a rather strong position. The presidential advisor on national security, Zeljko Bagic, was recently appointed secretary to the President's Office, which cancelled the position of the President's Chief-Of-Staff. The former Chief-of-Staff, Zeljko Dobranovic, who is an active member of the military, will be promoted and sent into retirement, it was said at the meeting. (hina) sb rml