GUESTS ADDRESS HDZ MAIN COMMITTEE SESSION

ZAGREB, June 26 (Hina) - After the speech of Franjo Tudjman, the President of Croatia and of the ruling Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ), representatives of political parties from Germany, Switzerland, Macedonia, Hungary, and Slovenia, akin to the HDZ, representatives of the European association of Christian Democrat Youth and of the HDZ of Bosnia-Herzegovina (HDZ BiH) addressed the session of the HDZ Main Committee in Zagreb on Saturday. Although all Croatian parliamentary parties were invited to come at the session, representatives of none of them appeared in the Vatroslav Lisinski Hall. On behalf of parties whose members they are, Anto Djapic, Ivica Racan and Mako Veselica have offered their excuses. Present at the event is a Vice President of the Croatian Christian Democratic Party (HKDS), Viktor Kocijan. Guests stressed that the HDZ had played a key role in maintaining peace and establishing democracy in Croatia. They congratulated the party for its full membership in the International Community and wished the speedy inclusion into European integration processes. HDZ Vice-President Ivic Pasalic said that today's session gathered more guests from abroad than any other former meeting of the HDZ, explaining that this showed that the HDZ was enjoying the support of European Christian Democrats. Pasalic congratulated all European Christian Democrats for having won a majority of seats in the European Parliament which had previously belonged to Social Democrat parties. (hina) ms