LOWER HOUSE ENDORSES BILL ON EDUCATION IN MINORITY LANGUAGES

ZAGREB, April 27 (Hina) - The Croatian parliament's House of Representatives on Thursday endorsed by a majority of vote a bill giving minorities the opportunity to have education in their mother language and alphabet. The bill was endorsed by both the ruling six-party coalition and the largest Opposition party, the Croatian Democratic Union. "This bill guarantees equality and prevents all forms of intolerance and discrimination," Education and Sports Minister Vladimir Strugar said presenting the bill which should be finalised before the second reading. "The preservation of various national cultural identities has to be a significant value of Croatian society," Strugar said. He assessed the position of national minorities as one of the key elements in Croatia's integration with European and world structures. The bill rests on principles which guarantee the standards which have been achieved in education in a minority language and alphabet, the minister added. Minority representatives positively assessed the bill, which during debate was opposed only by the right-leaning Croatian Party of Rights/Croatian Christian Democratic Union parliamentary bench. (hina) ha jn