CROATIAN-HUNGARIAN COMMITTEE ON MINORITIES CONVENES IN OSIJEK

OSIJEK, Jan 25 (Hina) - A Croatian-Hungarian agreement on the mutual protection of minorities should serve as a model for other countries as well, Croatia's Assistant Foreign Minister Nenad Prelog said on Thursday, adding talks on signing a similar agreement with Yugoslavia had begun in principle. Croatia is trying to sign such agreements also with Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Slovenia, and other countries with small or large Croat communities, he said on the first day of a meeting a Croatian- Hungarian committee in charge of the agreement's implementation held in the eastern town of Osijek. It has been announced the two-day meeting will address topical issues regarding the minorities' position and the implementation thus far of commitments from the agreement. The mixed inter-governmental committee's five-year activity has been assessed as "useful and serving national minorities" by Tibor Szabo, the Hungarian government's official in charge of Hungarians living abroad. Croatia's Prelog said there were no open political issues between the two sides but that despite announcements, Hungary still had not provided for Croatian minority representation in its parliament. It has been promised to be done next year. Prelog said it was also possible that institutions of Croats in Hungary be financed from the state budget. (hina) ha sb