GOVERNMENT ESTABLISHES OFFICE FOR ASSOCIATIONS

( Editorial: --> 4690 ) ZAGREB, Oct 1 (Hina) - The Croatian Government has passed a regulation on establishing an office for associations which are entitled to support from the state budget. Homeland War associations are not within the new Office for Associations' scope of activities, but will remain under the care of the Ministry for Croatian Homeland War Defenders. The Government has also accepted a Croatian delegation's report from the seventh round of bilateral negotiations concerning Croatia's application for full membership of the World Trade Organisation (WTO). The Government has authorised the delegation to continue with the negotiations, which should be finished by April 1, 1999. A proposal on establishing a Croatian honorary consulate in Hungary with its headquarters in Nagykanizsa has been accepted. Mijo Karagic has been proposed as the honorary consul. The establishment of an honorary consulate in Israel based in Jerusalem has been proposed, and Dan Baram has been suggested as the honorary consul. Dusko Grabovac has been proposed as Croatia's general consul in Italy, the Government Communications Office reported. (hina) it jn /mbr 011814 MET oct 98