CROATIAN PRESIDENT GIVES RECEPTION FOR FOREIGN DIPLOMATS

ZAGREB, Jan 9 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman and his wife, Ankica, on Tuesday gave a reception for foreign diplomats in Croatia who were headed by the doyen of the diplomatic corps, apostolic nuncio Giulio Einaudi. The year 1995 was marked by very important events for the Croatian state which resulted in the strengthening of its borders and improvement of its international reputation, Einaudi said. "We hope that Croatia, loyal to its mission of peace, manages to enter a period of democratic and economic prosperity and spiritual renewal after the difficult situation caused by war," the nuncio added. Tudjman said that last year's liberation of occupied areas in central Croatia had the greatest importance for the Croatian people and state. "Croatia has not only solved its main problem but has also changed the balance of power in this part of the world," Tudjman said, adding that Croatian military successes had made it possible for Contact Group countries to implement their peace plan under US leadership. In the New Year Croatia would be faced with the task of fully liberating the remaining occupied areas - Eastern Slavonia, Baranja and Western Srijem - in a peaceful way and with the assistance of the international community which had assumed obligations to help in the peaceful reintegration of these areas, Tudjman said. Tudjman stressed that Croatia was willing to reintegrate its territory peacefully but warned that the reintegration problem was overshadowed by the crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina. "But as the peace agreement for Croatia's Danubian region was an introduction to and, in a way, a condition for the peace agreement in Bosnia-Herzegovina, we can assert that the success of the peace agreement in the occupied Croatian area will also influence the resolution of the more complex and complicated crisis in Bosnia-Herzegovina," he said. "You can rest assured that Croatia will make every effort to make the Bosnian peace process a success," Tudjman stressed, recalling that two years ago he had proposed a similar solution for Bosnia aware that no settlement was possible without a more resolute involvement of Contact Group nations under US and NATO leadership. "Croatia will be a reliable factor of peace in the creation of a stable international order," he said. Tudjman extended the guests his best wishes for the New Year, hoping that their countries and Croatia would continue to develop friendly relations. (hina) vm mm 091848 MET jan 96