FORMER CROATIAN EMIGRANTS GIVE DINNER IN ZAGREB ( Editorial: --> 1192 )

( Editorial: --> 1192 ) ZAGREB, Nov 16 (Hina) - The club of Croats who have returned to their homeland from the Diaspora, in cooperation with the Croatian ministry of return and immigration affairs and the Union of Emigrants ("Hrvatska matica iseljenika"), held a dinner in the 'Globus' restaurant in Zagreb on Saturday evening. The dinner draw more than 700 Croat returnees from all over the world who have come back to Croatia since 1990. Croatian President Franjo Tudjman's chief-of staff, Hrvoje Sarinic who was his special envoy to this event, a Deputy Parliament Speaker, Vladimir Seks, Minister of Return, Marijan Petrovic and the President and Vice President of the club of these returnees, Vlado Glavas and Ante Babic respectively, addressed the gathered. Sarinic handed medals to 30 returnees whom President Tudjman awarded for their contribution to the creation and defence of the sovereign and independent Croatia. Relaying to the gathered Tudjman's wish that they could "feel all the need and joy of the return to the homeland" Sarinic said that Croatian ex-patriates had shown that they always thought of their homeland by taking part in the War of Independence or by lobbying for Croatia and carrying out numerous humanitarian activities. "The President has many times invited emigrants to return and many have accepted the invitation. Thus, in the last seven years, more than 30,000 of them have come back," Sarinic said adding that the process of the return would be accelerated as the government intended to introduce several measures aimed at stimulating the return. We need the experience and capital of our emigrants, he said calling on Croatian emigrants to take part in the reconstruction of the country and join the government in struggle against all negative things that slowed down their return. Vladimir Seks said that "the independence of Croatia was a dream of our emigrants, which came true through great sacrifices," and thanked the emigrants for their endeavours. He called on them to be the first in the reconstruction of the country as they had been first in the struggle for its independence. Minister Petrovic and the Returnees' Club President Glavas described Saturday's gathering as yet another proof of the unity among Croats in Croatia and abroad. Our emigrants left Croatia for political or economic reasons but they always had Croatia in their hearts and fought for it, Petrovic said. Present at the dinner were many politicians, public figures, cultural workers, Church dignitaries and the army's representatives. (hina) mš 161057 MET nov 97