CROATIAN PRESIDENT ADDRESSES BOTH CHAMBERS OF PARLIAMENT

ZAGREB, Jan 15 (Hina) - Both chambers of the Croatian Parliament began a joint session on Monday with an address on the state of the nation in 1995 by Croatian President Franjo Tudjman. The session, chaired by speaker Vlatko Pavletic, was attended by Prime Minister Zlatko Matesa and government members, Constitutional Court official Ante Jelavic, Supreme Court president Krunislav Olujic and representatives of the judicial authorities and other government bodies. Religious dignitaries attending the session included the Archbishop of Zagreb, Cardinal Franjo Kuharic, Deputy Serb Orthodox Bishop of Karlovac Danilo Ljubotin, Jewish Community president Ognjen Kraus and Evangalical senior Vladimir Deutsch. Also present were the governor of the National Bank of Croatia Pero Jurkovic, the president of the Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences Ivan Supek, the president of the "Matica Hrvatska" cultural and publishing society Vlado Gotovac, the president of the Croatian Writers' Society Ante Stamac, university vice-chancellors, Croatian Army Chief of Staff General Zvonimir Cervenko, members of the diplomatic corps led by doyen Monsignor Giulio Einaudi, county prefects, representatives of cultural and public institutions and other public figures. At the beginning of the session participants observed a minute's silence in honour of the fallen Croatian defenders and all civilian victims of the war. President Tudjman described the past year as "a year of so many events, and one of such crucial significance, that we could call it the year in which the establishment of independent Croatia was completed, and in which Croatia gained full ane even exceptional international renown." (hina) vm 151153 MET jan 96