CROATIA LAUNCHES INITIATIVE IN COUNCIL OF EUROPE

ZAGREB/STRASBOURG, Feb 1 (Hina) - Croatia's permanent representative at the Council of Europe, Ambassador Neven Madey, presented a memorandum on the status of the Yugoslav Croat minority at a session of the Committee of Ministerial Deputies in Strasbourg on Wednesday, the Foreign Ministry reported on Thursday. Madey presented the document, which opens the question of the status of the Yugoslav Croat ethnic minority, within discussions on the implementation of obligations and cooperation projects between the Council of Europe and Yugoslavia, which was recently granted the status of special guest at the Parliamentary Assembly. In the legislative sense, the Yugoslav authorities have been denying the Croat minority this basic right and conducting a discriminating policy the result of which has been the exodus of 50,000 Croats. Ambassador Madey expected the work on the adoption of the Yugoslav legislation and practical policy toward the Croat national minority would be one of important tests for the new Yugoslav authorities and a condition Yugoslavia would have to meet in order to become a full member of the Council of Europe. (hina) sb rml