MULTILATERAL CONFERENCE ON CITIZENSHIP BEGINS IN CROATIA ( Editorial: --> 0569 )

( Editorial: --> 0569 ) STUBICKE TOPLICE, Nov 13 (Hina) - A multilateral conference on practical issues concerning the granting of citizenship began in Stubicke Toplice, near Zagreb, on Thursday, in the organization of the Croatian interior ministry and the Council of Europe and with the participation of representatives of 26 countries. Croatian Interior Minister Ivan Penic thanked the Council of Europe Directorate for enabling Croatia to host the conference and for assisting in its organization. The Croatian parliament passed the decision on independence on 8 November 1991, Penic said. The law on citizenship was adopted later that month and it included legal standards and principles of contemporary European and world democracy, he added. Over 1.2 million citizenship procedures for persons who had not been registered with citizenship registries and 808,000 procedures to clear requests for getting Croatian citizenship had been conducted since then, said the interior minister. The conference will close with the adoption of conclusions on practical friendly cooperation among participant-countries. (hina) ha jn 131700 MET nov 97