CROATIA MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF SOVEREIGNTY OVER ISTRA, ...

PULA, Sept 14 (Hina) - The 50th anniversary of Croatia's sovereignty over the northern Adriatic peninsula of Istra, the ports of Rijeka and Zadar, and islands in the Adriatic, was marked in the Istrian port of Pula on Sunday. Present at the event were Croatian Parliament President Vlatko Pavletic, Croatian Vice Premier Ivica Kostovic, Istra County Prefect Stevo Zupic, representatives of the Croatian army, police, the judiciary, church and political figures, and numerous persons who had taken part in the anti-fascist movement of Croatia, Slovenia and Italy. There is no existence in Istra without co-existence, the president of the County's Assembly, Damir Kajin, told the present. "Croatia would never have had Istra, Rijeka, Zadar and the islands had there been no people's liberation struggle", Kajin said. Istra wants to exist within Croatia, he pointed out, adding dialogue between the Croatian and Istrian leaderships was necessary. Vice premier Kostovic recalled Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's 1993 address in parliament, when he affirmed that legal basis of an integral Croatia had been founded in the people's liberation struggle in World War Two and when Istra, Rijeka, Zadar and the islands joined the rest of Croatia. Co-existence was Istra's blessing, he pointed out. "Today we are marking one of the brightest and most sacred events in recent Croatian history", parliament president Pavletic pointed out. He conveyed President Tudjman's and the parliament's regards to those partaking in today's celebration. Pavletic recalled the long-standing efforts and struggle of the majority people in this region for unification with the mother country. He stressed the anti-fascist spirit was present in contemporary Croatia because of manifestations of neo-fascism which must be opposed. Perpetrators of crime in WW2 Croatia would be brought to justice, Pavletic added, in order to prevent the defamation of all Croatian defenders, among whom are sons of anti- fascists. Today's celebration was organized by the anti-fascist alliance of the Istra County under the patronage of the Croatian parliament and the County. The Istrian peninsula, Rijeka, Zadar and Croatia's islands in the Adriatic were liberated during WW2. Croatia's sovereignty over these places was verified by the 1947 peace conference in Paris. (hina) ha mm 141720 MET sep 97