PRESIDENT TUDJMAN LAYS WREATH AT HOMELAND ALTAR

( Editorial: --> 7669 ) ZAGREB, May 29 (Hina) - On the occasion of Croatia's Statehood Day, President Franjo Tudjman and his wife Ankica on Saturday laid a wreath at the Homeland Altar at Mount Medvednica overlooking Zagreb. Tudjman also signed the Memorial Book. "On Statehood Day, as state leader, I laid a wreath at the Homeland Altar to honour all those who lived and died for the realisation of Croatian freedom in the independent, sovereign and internationally recognised state of Croatia," Tudjman wrote. Accompanying Tudjman were Croatian National Parliament speaker Vlatko Pavletic, Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa, Croatian Parliament's House of Counties speaker, Katica Ivanisevic, President's Chief-of-Staff Hrvoje Sarinic, Foreign Minister Mate Granic, Defence Minister Andrija Hebrang, Interior Minister Ivan Penic, Croatian Army Chief-of-Staff Lt. Gen. Pavao Miljavac, President's Military Cabinet head Maj. Gen. Darko Grdic and the Mayor of Zagreb, Marina Matulovic-Dropulic. Present at the wreath-laying ceremony were also members of the diplomatic corps in Croatia, headed by papal Nuncio Msgr. Giulio Einaudi, and ambassadors of countries, members of the UN Security Council, the United States of America, the Russian Federation, Great Britain, China and France, as well as Germany and Italy. (hina) lm 301119 MET may 98