TUDJMAN RECEIVES CREDENTIALS FROM NEW ALGERIAN AMBASSADOR

( Editorial: --> 8694 ) ZAGREB, April 22 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman On Wednesday received the Budapest-based incoming Algerian Ambassador to Croatia, Abdelmaklek Sellal, who presented Tudjman with his credentials. The People's Democratic Republic of Algeria wishes to strengthen friendly relations and cooperation with Croatia, and to promote mutual interests, Sellal said. Tudjman said Croatia wanted good and friendly relations with Algeria and added that the Croatian public and him personally, had been following sympathetically the Algerian people's struggle for independence. Recalling Croatian companies that used to work in Algeria, Tudjman said that such cooperation could be restored and expanded. (hina) lm jn /mb 221848 MET apr 98