CRO DELEGATION SPEAKS ABOUT POSITION OF CRO DIASPORA IN SLOVENIA

SLOVENIA $ LJUBLJANA, Sept 4 (Hina) - The position of the Croatian Diaspora in Slovenia and their ties with the mother country were the topics of talks Croatian delegations of the Return and Immigration Ministry and the Foreign Ministry, headed by Deputy Immigration Minister Josip Juras, held during their two-day visit to Slovenia, where they me with representatives of Croatian associations in the neighbouring country, and some high officials of the Slovene government. Addressing Croats in Slovenia in Ljubljana, Juras pointed out the clear stand of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and the Croatian government that the return of Croatian emigrants to their mother country was of national and strategic interest to Croatia. Representatives of Croatian associations in Slovenia were interested in possibilities of starting business in Croatia, the obtaining of Croatian documents. They also raised the issue of the financing of Croatian associations in Slovenia by the Slovene government, since the Croatian government financed the activities of Slovene associations in Croatia. Tomorrow, the Croatian delegation will visit Maribor, prior to which Juras is expected to meet with the state secretary at the Slovene Ministry for Economic Relations, Vojka Ravbar, and the secretary at the Labour and Social Welfare Ministry, Natasa Belopavlovic. According to the 1991 census, Croats were the largest minority community in Slovenia, with more than 54,000 members. (hina) ha 042332 MET sep 97