FEDERATION OF SOCIETIES OF MISSING CROATAINS' FAMILIES FOUNDED

ZAGREB, Feb 22 (Hina) - Seven organizations established a Federation of organizations of families of Croatian detained and missing defenders, in Zagreb on Saturday in the presence of Croatian Parliament members, government officials and Croatian President's office representatives. "We shall do our utmost to learn the final truth about the missing persons, to venerate memory of the killed and maintain the dignity of their families," said the newly-elected Federation head, Josip Jugec. The society of the Vinkovci-based "Croatian Mother", "Vukovar Mothers", the Zagreb-based "Croatian Phoenix", societies of families of detained and missing Croatian defenders from Osijek, Cakovec, Varazdin and Sisak joined the Federation. They called other organizations to enter it. Addressing the founding session, a Croatian Parliament vice president, Jadranka Kosor, called on the Federation to help each member of those families. A Croatian Vice Premier, Ivica Kostovic, said that the Croatian Government would fully back the work of the Federation. He reminded the Federation that the international community failed to do anything to solve any case of missing and detained Croatian soldiers, and stressed that thanks to Croatia about 6,700 Croatian citizens had been freed so far from Serbian captivity. Kostovic added that the Government had assumed the obligation to establish the final truth about detainees and missing persons. A minister, Juraj Njavro, supported a proposal that a Wall of Suffering in Selska Street in Zagreb should be reconstructed and placed at an appropriate site. A delegation of the Federation's founding session laid flowers and lit candles in the Zagreb central cemetery of Mirogoj in memory of the killed Croatian defenders. (hina) mš 222017 MET feb 97