CROATIAN PRESIDENT RECEIVES DELEGATION OF VOJVODINA CROATS

ZAGREB, Feb 16 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Friday received a delegation of the Democratic Alliance of Vojvodina Croats, led by its president Bela Tonkovic, the Presidential Office said in a statement. The delegation also included Alliance vice president Stanka Kujundzic, Council member Josip Gabric and the head of the Croatian Foreign Ministry's Department for Croatian Minorities and Emigration, Jasmina Kovacevic-Cavlovic. The guests congratulated the President on last year's successful liberation of occupied Croatian areas and informed him about views and activities of the Alliance. Tonkovic favourably described a visit by Croatian Foreign Minister Mate Granic to Belgrade, stressing that the Alliance and Granic had agreed that the process of normalization of relations with the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (FRY) should include four important issues: the status of the Croats in the FRY, respect for human rights and equal rights of all minorities, cultural autonomy and free return of Croatian refugees who want to return to Vojvodina. The Alliance was currently creating a union of all minorities in Serbia to present a united front in the Federal Assembly, Tonkovic said. President Tudjman thanked the delegation for support, hoping that the issue of the Croatian minority in Vojvodina would be resolved successfully as part of the overall process of normalization of Croatian-Serbian relations. The talks were also attended by Presidential Chief of Staff Ivo Sanader and Adviser on Humanitarian Affairs Slobodan Lang, the statement concluded. (hina) vm 161439 MET feb 96