INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON LINGUISTIC DIVERSITY OPENS IN ROVINJ

ROVINJ, March 22 (Hina) - A two-day international conference entitled "Linguistic Diversity: Challenge for European Cities and Regions" opened in the northern Adriatic town of Rovinj on Thursday. The conference, which is part of a Council of Europe campaign, "2001 - European Year of Language", gathered more than 150 participants who were welcomed by European Integration Minister Ivan Jakovcic and Education and Sports Minister Vladimir Strugar. Foreign guests who addressed the gathering included the President of the Council of Europe's Parliamentary Assembly, Lord Russel Johnston, the first Vice-President of the European Union Committee of Regions, Irma Peiponen, and the President of the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities of Europe, Llibert Cuatrecasas. Speaking about the right to have one's own language, script and culture, which "is most closely linked to the feeling of ethnic belonging," Minister Jakovcic said that learning foreign languages and promoting minority languages enriched every community. Minister Strugar said the Croatian school system would respond to the challenges of building a multicultural Europe, in which diversity and multilingual heritage were cherished. The conference ends tomorrow with the adoption of a declaration. (hina) sb rml