UNION OF CROATIAN ALBANIANS: RUGOVA AND SURROI ARE ALIVE

ZAGREB, March 30 (Hina) - Two prominent Kosovo Albanians, Ibrahim Rugova and Veton Surroi, are alive and out of Pristina, the president of the Union of Croatian Albanians, Ton Marku, said in Zagreb on Tuesday. According to the latest information from Kosovo, the situation in the southern Yugoslav province is dramatic, and 150,000 tanks are moving along the Komoran-Klina-Djakovica road. In 22 Catholic parishes in Kosovo, Albanians have been called to stay in their homes although terror is reigning, the Albanian Catholic mission's representative Ndue Ballabani said. Asked whether Albanians living in Croatia would provide assistance to Kosovo Albanians, Marku said they would provide all the necessary help. The Union welcomed the Croatian Government's support for NATO's action and sympathies for Kosovo Albanians. However, we are aware that Croatia won't support Kosovo's independence, they added. The Union also issued a statement on the latest developments, expressing gratitude to Croatian citizens for their moral and humanitarian support. "We will never accept a solution which would leave us without a homeland, no matter the price we have to pay", the statement said. Today's press conference also heard decisions of the Union's main committee calling on Croatian humanitarian organisations to help the people of Kosovo, and on the Croatian Government to receive part of the Kosovo refugees. AFP today carried a statement by a spokesman of Rugova's Kosovo Democratic League party in Bonn saying Rugova had been wounded and his whereabouts were not known. (hina) rml