CRO PRESIDENT PRESENTS WILLIAM PERRY WITH HIGH STATE AWARD

( Editorial: --> 7615 ) ZAGREB, Sept 2 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Wednesday presented the former US Defence Secretary, William Perry, with one of Croatia's highest state awards, the Grand Order of King Zvonimir. "It gives me great pleasure to present you with one of the highest Croatian state awards on behalf of the Croatian government and people," Tudjman said. He stressed that the award had been presented to Perry for everything he had done, as Secretary of Defence, in the development of friendly and good relations between the United States and Croatia, and especially in the development of good and fertile relations between the two countries' armed forces. "These relations were particularly developing when the late Croatian Defence Minister Gojko Susak had been one of my closest associates," Tudjman said. He expressed hope that Perry would continue to work on the development of relations between Croatia and the United States. Perry expressed gratitude for the great honour bestowed onto him. He added that he was receiving the award on behalf of the US armed forces, and as a sign of friendship between the American and Croatian people and as a commendation for American Croats' contribution to the United States in various fields. I also receive this award in memory of my close associate and friend of many years, Gojko Susak, Perry said. I wish he was here today, he added. (hina) lml /mbr 021529 MET sep 98