CROATIAN SABOR MARKS SEVENTH ANNIVERSARY OF SEVERING TIES WITH YU

( Editorial: --> 6746 ) ZAGREB, Oct 8 (Hina) - The Croatian Sabor's (Parliament) Lower House commenced its sitting on Thursday with a commemoration marking the 7th anniversary of severing all state-legal ties to the former Yugoslavia. Remembrance of this, one of the most significant decisions adopted by the Sabor, as well as the events of the preceding day - October 7 - and the attempted assassination of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, was conducted by Sabor President Vlatko Pavletic and his Deputy President Vladimir Seks. Seks reminded that June 25, 1991, was when the Constitutional decision was adopted regarding the sovereign and independent state of Croatia as well as the Declaration on the Establishment of a Sovereign and Independent Republic of Croatia. The Croatian Sabor on October 8, 1991, adopted a decision to sever all state-legal ties to the former Yugoslavia. It confirmed that Yugoslavia no longer existed, and with that any legitimacy and legality of any body or act of the disintegrated state of Yugoslavia, said Seks. He reminded of the conclusions which the Sabor adopted stating that Serbia and the Yugoslav Peoples' Army (JNA) had committed an armed aggression against Croatia and that the Sabor obliged Croatia to respond to this aggression with any means possible. This was during a time when the international community was not prepared to express it readiness to recognise Croatia. The Sabor then called on all countries in the world to recognise Croatia and to establish diplomatic relations, he said. The Sabor's deputy president added that a day earlier - October 7 - an assassination against the President was attempted in the centre of Zagreb. This act was an attempt to behead Croatia and break the country in wake of the imperial plans (of Serbia and the JNA), said Seks. He then read the Decision to sever all state-legal ties to the former Yugoslavia adopted at that historical sitting of the Croatian Sabor on October 8. (Hina) sp jn 081301 MET oct 98