MACEDONIAN MINORITY IN CROATIA CELEBRATES ITS NATIONAL DAY

( Editorial: --> 1180 ) SAMOBOR, August 1 (Hina) - Croatia's Macedonian ethnic minority celebrated its national and religious holiday Ilinden on Saturday with a traditional picnic in Samobor, a town near Zagreb. The Community of Macedonians in the Republic of Croatia organised the celebration of the 95th anniversary of the Ilinden uprising of Macedonians against the Turkish authorities. The picnic also marked the year of the 50th anniversary of the General Declaration of Human Rights and Freedoms and seven years of Croatia's independence. This now fifth Ilinden celebration in a row held in Samobor was held under the auspices of the Government Office for Ethnic and National Minorities. Office head Mila Simic addressed the gathering on the importance of the General Declaration and respecting the rights of ethnic minorities. Macedonia's Ambassador to Croatia Servet Avziu and Samobor Mayor Ivan Bedenicic also spoke at the event. Community officials also marked Ilinden anniversary celebrations by laying a wreath at a monument to Macedonian poet Koce Racin, whose anthology of poems titled "Beli mugri" ("The White Mulberry") was printed in Samobor in 1939. (Hina) mbr jn 011539 MET aug 98