CROATIAN PRESIDENT SENDS LABOUR DAY MESSAGE

( Editorial: --> 0474 ) ZAGREB, April 29 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Wednesday sent congratulations to all Croatian citizens for this Friday's public holiday, Labour Day. Following is the full text of his Labour Day message: "By achieving the basic goals of the establishment of the sovereign, independent and democratic Croatian state, and by attaining the present level of peace and stability, we have laid the foundations for a speedier and more far-reaching economic and social development of our homeland, and created prerequisites for a better material and social position of our citizens. "The reconstruction of war-torn areas, the return of refugees, the revival of economic activity, economic growth and overall economic development are based on the dignity of labour as the most valuable human activity, and on solidarity as the foundation of the welfare state. "I particularly congratulate the social partners - the Government, the trade unions and the employers' associations - because they are the guarantee of a balanced economic and social development. "I believe that the social consensus on basic developmental issues will have the same strength and role which the national consensus had in the realisation of Croatian freedom and independence." (hina) as/mb 291807 MET apr 98