CROATIAN PRESIDENTS HOLDS TALKS WITH SERB MINORITY REPRESENTATIVES

( Editorial: --> 1371 ) ZAGREB, Feb 12 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman told representatives of Croatia's Serb ethnic community on Thursday it was in the state interest that all Croatian citizens who accepted Croatia as their homeland to remain in the country. On the talks President Tudjman held with parliamentary members Vojislav Stanimirovic and Milorad Pupovac, the President's Office released the following statement: "President of the Republic Dr. Franjo Tudjman received on Thursday Dr. Vojislav Stanimirovic, a representative in the Croatian National Parliament's House of Counties and president of the Serb Democratic Independent Party (SDSS), and Dr. Milorad Pupovac, a representative in the Croatian National Parliament's House of Representatives and president of the Serb National Council. "Stanimirovic and Pupovac informed the President on the course of continued normalisation of life in the Croatian Danube River region, especially on the implementation of the program of two-way return, the issuing of documents, the application of the Amnesty Law, and the work and roles of the Joint Council of (Serb majority) Municipalities and the Serb National Council," the President's Office statement said. "The President said that it was in the state interest that all Croatian citizens, who accepted Croatia as their homeland, to remain in Croatia, emphasising that the Croatian state would continue to carry out the policy which had brought a successful end to the peaceful reintegration process, and in this regard there had to be quicker implementation of laws and overcoming bureaucratic obstacles. "As well as the President, the meeting was also attended by Hrvoje Sarinic, the President's chief of staff, and Vesna Skare-Ozbolt, the President's deputy chief of staff and president of the National (Trust Restoration) Committee." (Hina) jn mb 121406 MET feb 98