CROATIAN DEPUTY FOREIGN MINISTER RECEIVES HUNGARIAN CROATS' REPS

ZAGREB, June 20 (Hina) - Croatian Deputy Foreign Minister Ivo Sanader on Friday received a delegation of the Hungarian Croats' National Self- Government, headed by president Mijo Karagic, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement. The relations between Croatia and Hungary, two neighbouring and friendly countries, could be described as very good in all fields, they were without open political issues and at a constant ascending line, which had been confirmed by the last visit of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman to Hungary, Sanader said. Karagic informed Sanader about the present organisation of the Croat minority in Hungary which is to a large extent unfamiliar to the Hungarian public, although it is a historic autochthonous minority, because it had been immersed into the Yugoslav community for a long time. Karagic asked for the help of the Croatian government and state in the preservation of the cultural and language identity of the Croatian minority and the strengthening of ties with the homeland. He said that some segments of the Agreement on Bilateral Protection of Minorities signed by Croatia and Hungary were not being implemented in full, so that the Croat minority still had no representatives in the Hungarian Parliament. Sanader said that Croatia would provide help for the Croats in Hungary, and stressed that the mentioned difficulties concerning the Agreement on the Protection of Minorities would be solved through agreement with Hungarian authorities. (hina) lm 201420 MET jun 97