8TH BALL ORGANISED BY CROATIAN-AUSTRIAN SOCIETY IN VIENNA

VIENNA, Feb 7 (Hina) - The eighth traditional Croatian ball took place in the 'Marriott' hotel in Vienna on Saturday night, under the auspices of Austrian Foreign Minister Wolfgang Schuessel and Vienna Deputy Mayor Bernhard Georg. On behalf of the organiser, the Austrian-Croatian Association for Culture and Sports, Antun Petrovic, the president of the association, addressed the gathered. Petrovic said the Austrian-Croatian Association, established in 1991, was the biggest Croatian society in Austria. On Saturday it launched one of its humanitarian campaigns, called "Schilling for Vukovar". On behalf of the Croatian Embassy in Vienna, an Embassy advisor, Tihomir Telisman, stressed the importance of Austrian Croats' gatherings and called on them to maintain their identity while living abroad. He also pointed to the importance of strengthening the economic cooperation with the homeland and of investing in Croatia. Vienna Deputy Mayor Georg said he was pleased to be among Croats at the ball and voiced hope that Croats could feel comfortable in Vienna and Austria cherishing their heritage, proof of which is this traditional ball. Present at the ball were authorities of the war-ravaged eastern Croatian town of Vukovar who had agreed with the Austrian-Croatian Association on the close cooperation in culture, sports and the humanitarian field. Austrian Foreign Minister Schuessel, who could not attend the event, forwarded a letter to the Association accentuating special historical and cultural ties between his country and Croatia. Fifteen days ago, the Croat community from Burgenland also held a traditional ball in Vienna, as part of the ball season in the Austrian capital lasting from January 1 until the beginning of the Lent. (hina) ms