HUNGARIAN CROATS NEED MORAL AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT FROM CROATIA

ZAGREB, Oct 28 (Hina) - Ninety thousand ethnic Croatians in Hungary are expecting moral and financial support from Croatia, as it is the only way for them to preserve the Croatian identity and language. This was said at Monday's meeting between delegations of Hungarian Croatians' minority self-government and Croatia's parliamentary subcommittee for Croatian minorities in European countries. The subcommittee head, Djuro Perica, said the Croatian Parliament would support bids of the Croatian minority for being represented in the Hungarian Parliament. Perica was pleased to hear that Hungarian Croatians faced no difficulty in cooperation with Hungary's institutions in exercise of their minorities' rights. The Hungarian Croatians' national self-government president Mijo Karagic said Croatians in Hungary needed financial aid to slow down assimilation. The Hungarian Croatians' delegation discussed also this issue with Croatian Foreign Ministry officials on Monday. (hina) jn mš 281906 MET oct 96