CROATIA'S IMMIGRATION MINISTER TO VISIT AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND

ZAGREB, March 13 (Hina) - The Croatian Minister of Return and Immigration, Marijan Petrovic, and his assistant, Marijan Buconjic, leave for Australia and New Zealand on Friday to visit Croatian communities there, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday. The visit has been organized by the Croatian Embassy in Canberra and consular missions in Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Auckland. The aim of the visit is to acquaint Croatian expatriates with the programme and work of the Ministry of Return and Immigration and increasingly better legal, economic and social conditions for the return of Croats to Croatia, the statement said. Croatian expatriates, particularly those in Australia, have shown great interest in returning to their native land, and according to the ministry's data, the largest number of those who have returned from overseas countries were from Australia. During his visit to Canberra, Minister Petrovic is scheduled to meet members of the Australian parliament and senior government officials. Petrovic will deliver public lectures at Croatian clubs in Perth, Adelaide, Geelong, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Wellington and Auckland, the statement concluded. (hina) vm 131031 MET mar 97