SPLIT, 27 July (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on Saturday addressed the 3rd Convention of the Croatian Democratic Union (HDZ) Youth, which stared in Split yesterday.
SPLIT, 27 July (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on
Saturday addressed the 3rd Convention of the Croatian Democratic
Union (HDZ) Youth, which stared in Split yesterday. #L#
President Tudjman thanked the Croatian youth for their
contribution in the establishment of the independent Croatian
state. He recalled the fact that a great number of Croats who lived
abroad had to emigrate because they had lived under foreign rule,
but also because of discord among themselves.
Those who had established Croatia would be able to preserve
it, President Tudjman said, speaking of some attempts aimed at
discrediting Croatia in the international community.
'Those who wanted to preserve Yugoslavia at any price wanted
us to be defeated back in 1991, when the former Yugoslav People's
Army was one of the best armed military forces in Europe. We
entered the battle for freedom and democracy, we survived all
hardships and created our own state and defeated our enemy...'.
Croatia had changed the relations in the region of former
Yugoslavia and South-Eastern Europe and forced those who did not
like it to acknowledge and respect it, President Tudjman said.
Croatia's victory had not, however, changed certain ideas,
according to which Croatia should be integrated back into the
Balkan region, regardless the fact that it had never belonged
there, neither with its culture nor with its history.
Croatia had always been part of Central Europe and Western-
European culture, President Tudjman said, greeted by long applause
of some 300 young representatives at the convention.
Croatia had taken on its responsibilities in the resolution of
the Bosnian crisis, but was nevertheless being accused of
compromising agreements. Croatia's leadership would soon deal with
ultimatums by the international community and make decisions which
would be in the interest of Croatia and Bosnian Croats, but also in
the interest of Europe and the world. However, it would oppose any
degrading solutions or those which were against its interests,
President Tudjman said.
(hina) rm
271816 MET jul 96