FOREIGN HEADS OF STATE CONGRATULATE TUDJMAN FOR STATEHOOD DAY

( Editorial: --> 7499 ) ZAGREB, May 29 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman has received numerous congratulatory notes from foreign officials on the occasion of Croatia's Statehood Day, May 30. Notes were sent from the Pope, the Presidents of the United States, Germany, France, Russia, Italy, and from Queen Elizabeth II. In his telegram, Pope John Paul II said he prayed God to give Croatia courage for the effort it was making to achieve peace in the region through procedures for reconciliation and mutual accountability among the peoples. In this way Croatia will become a symbol of hope and testify to the realisation of justice and concord among the social classes of the region, the Pope's note said. U.S. President Bill Clinton in his note assessed the Croatian people's road to independence had not been easy, but the Croats persisted. Clinton was looking forward to the further building of a peace- loving and prosperous future for Croatia and the region. German President Roman Herzog said in his note he believed Croatia would comply with its responsibility for peace and stability in the whole region and thus contribute to the coexistence of all states and national communities. This will enable Germany to support Croatia as much as it can in the future in Croatia's wish to access European and Atlantic structures, the German President's note said. French President Jacques Chirac wrote the following: "(Croatia) has done a lot in stabilising the situation in south- eastern Europe and in the implementation of the peace agreements in Bosnia-Herzegovina, but it is necessary to make a much bigger effort to establish genuine trust among all countries in the region, and among the local population. "The care for the fate of displaced persons and refugees, and especially the creation of adequate conditions for the return to their homes, remains the international community's priority task. Croatia, whose commitment to Europe I do not doubt, has a special responsibility in that process", Chirac said in his note. Britain's Queen Elizabeth II sent her regards to President Tudjman and her best wishes for happiness and welfare to Croatia's citizens. The note from Russian President Boris Yeltsin was delivered by the Russian Ambassador to Croatia. Yeltsin said Russia was willing to be active in developing relations with Croatia and a mutually useful cooperation in various fields. Italian President Oscar Luigi Scalfaro said his country "will continue to support the peace process and the compliance with all taken commitments (...) in order to ensure stability, mutual cooperation and an economic and social development of all peoples (in this region)". In his note Scalfaro took the opportunity to "reaffirm Italy's commitment to support Croatia on its road towards Europe and its institutions, in the belief that Croatia will not abandon its significant role in the stabilisation in the region." In their notes to President Tudjman, all foreign officials expressed their wish to further strengthen ties and improve cooperation with Croatia. Congratulatory notes on the occasion of Croatia's Statehood Day were also sent from the following Presidents: Austria's Thomas Klestil, the Czech Republic's Vaclav Havel, Bulgaria's Petar Stoyanov, Estonia's Lennart Meri, Sudan's Omar Al Bashir, Kuwaiti Amir Jaber al-Ahmad al-Sabah, the Korean Republic's Kim Dae-Jung, the King of Malaysia Tuanku Jafar Ibni Al-Marhum Tuanku Abdul Rahman, and the Sultan of Bahrain Essa Bin Salman Al-Khalifa. (hina) ha 291435 MET may 98