ZAGREB, Dec 23 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on +Wednesday forwarded a Christmas message to all Croatian citizens +and people of good will.+ "This year we have completed the realisation of Croatian Freedom +and State
without any new victims, establishing full sovereignty +over the last part of the state territory. We have returned to the +Croatian Danubian region, to the heroic city of Vukovar and to the +Danube River, without which our beautiful Homeland would not be +complete and so beautiful. + The Croatian people have in this passing year, twice in a short +period of time, welcomed the Holy Father magnificently.+ This was a sign of gratefulness for the fact that Pope John Paul II, +as the supreme head of the Catholic Church and the highest moral +authority in the world, once again expressed his support for the +establishment of Croatia's Freedom and the role of the Croatian +democratic state in the world,
ZAGREB, Dec 23 (Hina) - Croatian President Franjo Tudjman on
Wednesday forwarded a Christmas message to all Croatian citizens
and people of good will.
"This year we have completed the realisation of Croatian Freedom
and State without any new victims, establishing full sovereignty
over the last part of the state territory. We have returned to the
Croatian Danubian region, to the heroic city of Vukovar and to the
Danube River, without which our beautiful Homeland would not be
complete and so beautiful.
The Croatian people have in this passing year, twice in a short
period of time, welcomed the Holy Father magnificently.
This was a sign of gratefulness for the fact that Pope John Paul II,
as the supreme head of the Catholic Church and the highest moral
authority in the world, once again expressed his support for the
establishment of Croatia's Freedom and the role of the Croatian
democratic state in the world, not only by beatifying a martyr of
the communist regime, Cardinal Stepinac, but also through his
attituide towards the Croatian people and their leadership.
In the new year, we all face the task to persistently continue in the
building of our Homeland, for it to become increasingly a country of
progress and prosperity for all its citizens, a state of peace,
truth and civil freedoms, mutual solidarity and social justice.
Despite indubitable achievements in the establishment of the
Croatian society and state structures, we are faced with
difficulties which are the result of the heavy burden of the
communist system, but also of almost unavoidable negativities of
the consumer society. The difficulties are the result of violations
of the legal system and moral principles, which, in turn, are the
result of the unquenchable greed of individuals to attain personal
wealth, to the detriment of the wider society and general well-
being.
And all this despite the constitutional, legal and moral legacies
established by the state leadership for the creation of an integral
constitutional and social system which is in service of the people
and every individual person.
The (state) authority cannot resolve every abusive perversity by
itself. This should be a permanent moral and cultured task of all
the social strata, especially educational institutions and the
Church, with the inevitable active participation of all patriotic
and righteous people.
In this year we have maintained social, political and economic
stability, we have achieved significant results in reconstruction,
and partly in salary and pension increases.
As regards internal development, we are still left with the main
problems of boosting production, difficulties in the health
system, the improvement of the financial status of pensioners,
solving unemployment, that is, new job opportunities.
Despite the fact that we are repeatedly being subjected to all sorts
of pressures, we have asserted Croatia's reputation and
international position.
In the new year, we must consistently continue to, together with all
democratic and socially and nationally responsible people, carry
out the policy with which we have accomplished all the grand
achievements.
The policy of reconciliation and harmony among all social strata,
the development of a culture of dialogue and understanding, mutual
respect and recognition, in order to consolidate the spiritual
unity of the Croatian people, to achieve better effects in
advancing the prosperity of all citizens and to ensure national and
state security.
With firm faith in the successful solution to all difficulties and
problems, which are insignificant in comparison to what we have
achieved, I forward best wishes to every Croatian for Christmas and
in the new year, 1999," the President's message said.
(hina) lml jn