PRESIDENT TUDJMAN MEETS DELEGATION OF IMMIGRATION MINISTRY

ZAGREB, July 9 (Hina) - Croatia's President Franjo Tudjman, on Wednesday received a delegation of the Ministry of Return and Immigration, the President's office said in a statement. Minister Marijan Petrovic, his deputy Josip Juras and his assistants Domagoj Ante Petric, Antun Babic, Marijan Buconjic, Nikola Vidak and the ministry's secretary Branka Bobanovic, informed President Tudjman of preparations for an immigration bill, which would be proposed to the parliament for the adoption in autumn. President Tudjman was notified of ways of informing Croatian emigrants about possibilities of investment and return and about the right of returnees from other countries. Minister Petrovic said that about 30,000 ex-patriates had come back so far to the country, and that the interest in the return was bigger. President Tudjman stressed the importance of creating a positive atmosphere for the return of Croatians from other countries, and added that media should be used more for this purpose. The Croatian State needed all Croatians no matter whether they are in the motherland or Croatian diaspora and regardless of their financial status. Therefore it was necessary to remove psychological barriers which, unfortunately, still existed, so that returnees to Croatia could feel that they were coming back to their homeland, for which all conditions had been met after the establishment of the independent Croatian State, Tudjman added. Present at the meeting were advisors to the President, Franjo Kajfez and Franka Barbic, and the President's cabinet chief Gordan Radin, the statement said at the end. (hina) mm mš 092007 MET jul 97