CROATIAN OFFICIAL MEETS WITH LOCAL GOVERNMENT CONGRESS

( Editorial: --> 7790 ) STRASBOURG, 28 Jan (Hina) - On Wednesday in Strasbourg the Croatian Deputy Premier Ljerka Mintas-Hodak met with the president of the Congress for Local and Regional Authorities in Europe (CPLRE), Claude Haeggi. They discussed local government and autonomy and related changes in law introduced in Croatia. Following the meeting Mintas-Hodak said she had talked to Haeggi about the expert assistance the Council of Europe is ready to offer Croatia in the preparation of laws for local government and authorities. The CPLRE president said that the Council of Europe must be staunch in the protection of its basic values but also patient with new member countries, which includes Croatia, because democracy can not be improvised. Talking about the establishment of a "strong democracy" in Croatia, Haeggi stressed that the Croatian government's task is not easy but in Croatia there exists a determination and wish for progress in that area. Hodak said that there was talk of possible programmes by embassies of local autonomies in Croatia. Three such missions have been established in Croatia by the suggestion of CPLRE and with the help of the Council of Europe. Mintas-Hodak gave her support for staff training projects, especially for jobs in the Croatian Danube River region, led by the mission of local authority in Osijek. (hina) mrb jn 281509 MET jan 98