US SENATE COMMITTEE GRANTS CROATIA US60MILLION

WASHINGTON, May 10 (Hina) - The US Senate Appropriations Committee granted Croatia funds amounting to US$60 million during a debate on the budget on Tuesday. It is expected that the decision will be included in the agenda of next week's Senate session and that it will be adopted. The grant should be used during the fiscal year 2001, which in the United States begins on October 1. The US government has requested Congress to approve the granting of another US$37 million for Croatia from this year's budget. The president of the National Federation of Croatian Americans (NFCA), Steve Rukavina, said the association was satisfied with the Committee's decision and the support Congress and the US Government were giving to the new reformist Croatian authority, headed by President Stipe Mesic. The NFCA has over the past few months been trying to win the support of US congressmen for a series of laws and decision concerning Croatia. The association believes the economic assistance of the United States is very important both as a symbol of support for the new coalition government and as a message for foreign investors to help Croatia's economy recover. (hina) mm rml