CRO TOURISM MINISTER INVITES TOURISTS TO HOLIDAY IN CROATIA

ZAGREB, Apr 23 (Hina) - Croatian Tourism Minister Ivan Herak on Friday called on foreign tourists to spend their summer holidays in Croatia, pointing out Croatia is a safe country, far from the war conflicts in Kosovo. As a sovereign and independent country, Croatia is outside of the Kosovo conflict, and international agreements on strikes against Yugoslavia, in the political, military, and every other sense, said a letter Herak forwarded on Friday to all Croatian embassies and Croatian Board of Tourism branch offices abroad, as well as to foreign tour-operators and media. The southern Yugoslav province of Kosovo, the focus of the current conflicts, is very far from Croatia, the letter states. Province capital Pristina is 746km away from Zagreb, 1,011km from Pula, and 637km from Split. The distance between Pristina and Croatia's southern-most major seaside resort Dubrovnik is 469km. The tourists' safety in Croatia is complete, and is vouchsafed by the state authority as in all democratic systems, which is confirmed by the fact that foreign governments have issued no recommendations to not travel to Croatia. All tourist destinations in Croatia can be reached without limitations, Herak said, adding Croatia is safe and peaceful for a comfortable holiday. "At a time when many people suffer, it is hard for me to talk about holidays, but it is my moral responsibility to my country and people, for whom tourism means life, to present you Croatia as a place where you will rest, so that in the future we could all together help those in need," Herak said. (hina) ha jn