PRESIDENT TUDJMAN RECEIVES VIROVITICA AUTHORITIES

ZAGREB, Feb 12 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman today received authorities of the Virovitica town and Virovitica- Podravina County - the commander of the Croatian Army for that area, Djuro Decak, County Prefect Stjepan Mikolcic, Virovitica Mayor Petar Budisa, the head of the Virovitica branch of the ruling HDZ party, Ivan Slamnic, a parliamentary deputy, Dragutin Decak and the commander of the Croatian Army 127th brigade, Brigadier Luka Lovrenac, a statement from the President's Office said. The delegation informed President Tudjman of the political and economic situation in the town and the county. Tudjman supported efforts aimed at the better organization of the county administration and economy as well as of local and self- government. Tudjman described as intolerable that 47,000 hectares out of 120,000 hectares of arable land were not cultivated in the county. He proposed that Croatian repatriates, farmers, and about 6,000 Croats expelled from Vojvodina and Srijem (Sirmium) now living in the county, should be enabled to till such land. He added that understanding should be shown to the war-damaged companies. The delegates said the price policy should serve as an incentive to the work of farmers and tobacco farmers. They complained that the county's firms did not find sufficient understanding with Croatian banks. They added that one of priorities of Virovitica was to construct the roundabout road in order that the entire traffic would not have to flow through the town. Virovitica Mayor conveyed to President Tudjman the citizens'' support to his policies. The talks also revolved around the decision to end the UNPROFOR current mandate in Croatia and around the good implementation of the December 2 Economic Agreement with Serbs from UNPAs. In this regard Tudjman told the HDZ party representatives from Virovitica that the HDZ led policies in the interest of all residents in the county as well as in the interest of entire Croatia as to strengthen the country's independence and freedom. Present were the chief of the President's Military Cabinet, Lieutenant General Zvonimir Cervenko, the HDZ secretary-general, Zlatko Canjuga, the President's domestic affairs advisor, Ivic Pasalic, the President's advisor on economy, Djuro Njavro and the chief of the President's Cabinet, Gordan Radin. (hina) mms 121854 MET feb 95