PRESIDENT TUDJMAN: NO REASON FOR 1999 TO BE UNSUCCESSFUL

ZAGREB, December 28 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Monday held a reception on the occasion of Christmas and New Year's holidays. Present were numerous state officials, public officials from the fields of culture, business, sports, and Church dignitaries. Greeting the present, President Tudjman described 1998 as eventful and successful. The most important events were, he said, the reintegration of the Croatian Danube River region into the rest of Croatia, the visit of Pope John Paul II to Croatia, and the signing of the Agreement on Special Relations with the Federation of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Expressing best wished for Christmas and New Year's, Tudjman wished that the upcoming year be more successful than the past one. On behalf of the people attending the reception, vice-president of the Croatian National Sabor, Vladimir Seks, expressed wish that 1999, "under the sceptre of President Tudjman, the Republic of Croatia should walk in the European community as a sovereign, independent country with content citizens". The year 1998 was quite eventful, even historically interesting within the framework of historic events in the past eight, nine years, Tudjman said in his speech. We shall say goodbye to this year with pride and hope. With pride because this year, on the path of establishing Croatia's freedom and democracy, we have accomplished new achievements - primarily, we have returned the Croatian Danubian region under the wing of the Croatian homeland, Tudjman stressed. Despite all difficulties in the social, political and economic sense, the stability of the society has been maintained, which enabled Croatia's reputation and international position to rise on the foreign policy plan, notwithstanding those who wished to diminish it. The visit of the Holy Father to Croatia is of special historic significance, Tudjman stressed. He added that this was not just a visit to the Croatian Church. It was a visit, as the Holy Father put it himself, and a recognition to the Croatian people and to the democratic Croatian state, Tudjman said. He stressed the visit was not only important in the internal policy sense, but also in the foreign policy sense. With all this, especially with the historic Agreement on Special Relations between Croatia and the Bosnian Federation, we have created preconditions for further building of Croatia's freedom and democracy, for the security of the independent and democratic Croatian state. We can be proud with all of this, but we must also be aware that we have problems, as all other countries have, Tudjman said. He expressed conviction that the problems will be more easily solved than those back in 1990, on the road on the creation of Croatia's freedom and democracy. Everything we have achieved is the result of the work of all of us, each one of you, the majority of the Croatian people, Tudjman stressed. He expressed conviction in the continuation of such awareness, self-sacrifice and zeal which was particularly apparent after the liberation operations "Storm" and "Flash", in all areas, especially sports events. This is the result of released Croatian spiritual forces, and we expect such victories in the future, and I believe we shall know how to realise them, Tudjman said, wishing all the best for Christmas and New Year's. (hina) lml