CROATIAN AND AUSTRALIAN IMMIGRATION MINISTERS HOLD TALKS

ZAGREB, July 9 (Hina) - Croatian Minister of Immigration and Return, Marijan Petrovic, and Australian Minister of Immigration and Ethnic Affairs, Philip Ruddock, on Wednesday talked about directing the Australian humanitarian immigration policy toward the area of the former Yugoslavia. After the Zagreb talks, Ruddock said that Australia would increase a number of immigrants from the area of ex-Yugoslavia due to the war consequences. Minister Petrovic said they had also discussed the return of Croatian emigrants from Australia. There are between 250,000-300,000 Australian Croatians now. Petrovic voiced hope that a great number of Croatians would come back from Australia. The two ministers also considered the contribution that Australia, particularly its citizens of Croatian origins, could give to the development of Croatia. (hina) mm mš 092036 MET jul 97