CROATIAN FOREIGN MINISTER LEAVES FOR VISIT TO BUDAPEST

( Editorial: --> 3752 ) ZAGREB, March 31 (Hina) - Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic left on Tuesday night for a one-day official visit to Hungary. Granic will meet Hungarian President Arpad Goencz, Prime Minister Gyula Horn, parliamentary speaker Zoltan Gal, Foreign Minister Laszlo Kovacs and other high-ranking Hungarian officials. The Croatian Foreign Ministry says during the talks special importance will be placed on issues regarding continued strengthening of the Central European Initiative which is currently chaired by Croatia. Also to be discussed will be stimulation of economic cooperation, which is lagging far behind excellent political relations between the two countries,and measures for a faster return of ethnic Hungarian refugees to the Croatian Danube River region, a matter of particulafr interest for the Hungarian Government. The Foreign Ministry says Minister Granic should be opening the building of Croat self-government in Budapest. (Hina) jn mb /mr 311945 MET mar 98