CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES MESSAGES OF CONGRATULATIONS

( Editorial: --> 5086 ) ZAGREB, Jan 17 (Hina) - On the occasion of the completion of the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danube river region and the departure of UNTAES, Croatian President Franjo Tudjman received numerous messages of congratulations. In his letter, the president of the Croatian Fraternity Union in the United States, Bernard M. Luketich, stressed that 15 January was a historic day, the day when the Danubian area had been returned to Croatia. President of the Croatian Academy of Science and Arts, Ivo Padovan, expressed joy because of the completion of the establishment of an integral, free and sovereign state of Croatia, and thanked Tudjman for his wise following of a peace-loving and decisive policy through which this great goal was achieved. Tudjman also received a message of congratulations from the Archbishop of Zagreb, Josip Bozanic. "I congratulate you on the completion of the peaceful reintegration of the Croatian Danubian area into the constitutional and legal system of the Republic of Croatia. This is a great event for the state of Croatia and all Croatian people. The Catholic Church in Croatia rejoices at this historic success," the letter said. (hina) lm 171828 MET jan 98