DUBROVNIK CONFERENCE ON CULTURE AND CONFLICT ENDS

DUBROVNIK, March 31 (Hina) - The international ministerial conference "Culture and Conflict", which ended in Dubrovnik on Saturday and which was attended, among else, by a dozen culture ministers from 28 European and other countries, welcomed the February 22 decision of the Hague war crimes tribunal describing the destruction of Dubrovnik and Vukovar as a war crime and a crime against humanity and cultural heritage in general. The conference ended with the adoption of a conclusion saying cultural cooperation among different nations is inevitable, whether among governments or non-governmental organisations. In that regard, it was stressed that Europe had to cherish, more than other continents, cultural regionalism and permanently create conditions stimulating mutual understanding among European peoples. Culture ministers must care about the avoidance of cultural conflicts which can result in conflicts whose first victim is most frequently cultural heritage. It is therefore necessary to distinguish between the culture of good and the culture of evil, which is used not only for attacking culture but territories and peoples too, it was said at the end of the three-day event, which took place in Dubrovnik's Excelsior hotel. The conference was organised by the Croatian Culture Ministry, the Canadian Heritage Ministry and the Council of Europe. (hina) rml