EUROPEAN MINORITIES UNION DELEGATION VISITS CROATIA

( Editorial: --> 4406 ) ZAGREB, Apr 3 (Hina) - Bilingualism and the position of minorities in Croatia were the topics of talks held in Zagreb Friday between the head of the Croatian government's office for ethnic and national communities or minorities, Mila Simic, and a delegation of the Federal Union of European Minorities. A non-government association established in 1949, the Union gathers 80 ethnic and national minorities from Europe. The three- member delegation included Union president Romedi Arquinto and vice presidents Ludwig Elle and Bela Tonkovic. Visiting the eastern town of Vukovar, the delegation inquired about numerous two-language signs and whether Croatia had settled the matter through legislation. "I told (the delegation) that the Law on the Official Use of Language and Writing is in the last reading at the Parliament", said Simic. That law will officially regulate the use of a minority language in local self-government units where the minority makes up less than 50 per cent of the population, Simic said. In areas where the minority accounts for more than 50 per cent of the population, the official use of language and writing is stipulated by the Constitution, she explained. The three-member delegation also met with representatives of non- government associations from Germany and other national minorities. Talks focused on how Croatia assists the work of these associations. The visit to Zagreb took two years to be agreed on, and was preceded by visits to Belgrade and Banja Luka. Later in the day, the European delegation will hold talks with the president of the Croatian parliament's National Minorities Committee, Miroslav Kis. (hina) ha 031324 MET apr 98