NEARLY 40 000 CROATS HAVE RETURNED TO CROATIA SINCE 1990

( Editorial: --> 0154 ) ZAGREB, April 28 (Hina) - According to the latest statistics by the Interior Ministry, 39,177 Croats from the diaspora returned to Croatia between 1990 and 1997, Deputy Immigration and Return Minister Josip Juras said on Tuesday. Speaking about the problems of return for emigre Croats at the conference "Return and Integration - Strategic Aspects and Perspectives", Juras called for disciplinary measures against Government officials who hampered the return by administrative or other means. Deputy Foreign Minister Ivo Sanadar said the welfare of Croat emigres was one of Croatia's priorities. He recalled that Croatia had signed agreements on the protection of Croat minorities with Hungary and Italy, and that such an agreement had been offered for consideration to the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia. He added that out of 800 people employees in the Foreign Ministry, 156 were returnees to Croatia. Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) vice-president and the Croatian President's advisor for domestic affairs, Ivic Pasalic, emphasised that all-Croatian reconciliation and unity of Croats in Croatia and abroad was and would remain a foundation of the Government's platform. "We are dissatisfied with what has been achieved up to now. We hold that more people who live outside the Croatian state can and need to return to Croatia," Pasalic said. The HDZ held as dangerous a proposal that some Croats with Croatian citizenship should not have the right to vote. The election of 12 MPs from the diaspora was not motivated by the ruling party's interests, but by a wish that they could directly influence the shaping of Croatian strategic interests, Pasalic said. Social Democratic Party (SDP) vice-president Zdravko Tomac said the integration of the Croatian national being was necessary. He believes it would be dangerous if political, ideological, regional and other divisions were renewed. Croatian News Agency Hina director Branko Salaj, a returnee from Sweden, said that between the Second World War and 1990, one out of nine Croats left Croatia, while only one out of four Croats are expected to return to the homeland. Croatia requires their capital, but what was also important was the knowledge, experience, work ethic and different world views of those people, he said. Salaj said antagonism existed towards returnees, who were seen as intruders and competitors for work positions. Privatisation Minister Milan Kovac said that Croat emigres had bought shares in Croatian firms and had opened production works, investing US$80 million in Croatia so far. (Hina) jn mb /mr 282229 MET apr 98