CROATIAN SLOVAKIANS HOLD ANNUAL ASSEMBLY

NASICE, March 8 (Hina) - Croatian Slovakians' organisation, ' Matica Slovacka', on Saturday held an annual assembly in Nasice where the organisation's seat is and where most of Croatian Slovakians live. Representatives of its local committee in Ilok (eastern Croatia under UN Transitional Administration) have participated in the assembly for the first time since the establishment of 'Matica Slovacka'. The head of the Ilok local committee, Janko Menjdan, voiced hope that bad times had been behind them and that after elections, Slovakians and other citizens of Ilok may live in peace as other people in Croatia. He added that they could not have endured pressure and would not have survived in Ilok without the support of the organisation. The organisation's leader Josip Kvasnovski spoke of activities in the last year and plans for this year. He said that Slovakians were trying to preserve their tradition, language and customs through folklore, cultural events, learning the Slovakian language at school, radio broadcasts and the 'Pramen' magazine. Several Croatian Slovakian children are at school in Slovakia and receive scholarship from the Slovakian Government. This year instructorship of Slovakian is to be founded at Pedagogic Academy in Osijek. The annual assembly was attended by Slovakian Ambassador to Croatia, Matus Kucera, Slovakian and Croatian senior officials as well as local authorities. (hina) mš 082141 MET mar 97