CROATIAN GOVERNMENT REITERATES SATISFACTION WITH ESTABLISHMENT OF DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL

DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH ISRAEL ZAGREB, Aug 29 (Hina) - The Croatian government on Friday reiterated its satisfaction with an agreement on the establishment of full diplomatic relations with Israel, expected to be signed next month. The establishment of diplomatic relations with Israel is very important for Croatia's efforts to strengthen its position on the international scene, head of the government communications office Neven Jurica told a press briefing in Zagreb. The Croatian people have developed a friendship with the Jewish people throughout history, from medieval Dubrovnik to present-day Zagreb, where the Jews are a respectable and influential community, Jurica said. The establishment of diplomatic ties between Israel and Croatia proves that speculations about the alleged isolation of Croatia are wrong. Asked to comment on a statement by UN Transitional Administrator William Walker that Croatia had accepted the idea of a "day of reconciliation" with Yugoslavia, Jurica said that he had heard of that idea but that he could not say anything more about it at the moment. Assistant Finance Minister Branko Stulic said that in the first 240 days actual expenditures and revenues at the national level matched figures projected in the state budget, and that the same was expected in the next term. Stulic said that the budgetary expenditures and revenues totalled 24.402 billion kuna, and that 24.501 billion was remitted to users. Asked about a possible government reshuffle, Jurica said he had no official information about it, adding that he could neither confirm nor deny it. (hina) vm 291615 MET aug 97