"PRESIDENT MESIC ATTENDS OPENING OF "EUROPE OF ANGEVINS" EXHIBITION

FONTEVRAUD, June 15 (Hina) - The exhibition "Europe of Angevins" convincingly proves the extent of the contribution of Central Europe to the culture of the entire continent, and confirms that Croatia has always belonged to the unified Europe. Croatian President Stipe Mesic said today at the opening of the exhibition in the French royal abbey in Fontevraud. "For today's Croatia the 'Europe of Angevins' exhibition bears a special meaning because it points out in the best way the contribution of Central Europe -- Poland, Hungary and Croatia -- to the cultural wealth of our continent," Mesic said in his speech at the opening of the exhibition. "At the same time it confirms Croatia's belonging to this family, a part of which it has always been. Let us remember this at the moment when the process of expansion of the European Union is underway," Mesic said at the exhibition which is opening on the 700th anniversary of the arrival of the Angevins into authority in Croatia. Mesic described the era of the rule o the counts of Anoju (13th to 15 century) as a time "in which the idea of European unity and the unification into a political whole was born". Although only a utopia at the time, the idea was "a foresight of a joint European home, whose foundations we have been building patiently for 50 years," Mesic said. The union, which was created by rule in so different areas such as parts of France, the south of Italy, Croatia, Hungary and Poland, could best be expressed through culture, the field in which the joint identity surfaces the best, with the respect of differences, he stressed. On the political plan, Mesic described the rule of Carl I (1301- 1342) and Ludovic I (1342-1382) over the Croatian-Hungarian monarchy as exceptionally important for Croatia. "Angevin rulers again set up the Croatian Mediterranean space and orientation and consolidated ties with other European kings .. and again united Dalmatia with the mother land," Mesic said, tying the 'Athens of the West' -- Angers -- with the 'Croatian Athens'-- Ragus, or today's Dubrovnik. Mesic recalled that Richard, the Lion's Heart, a member of the British line of Angevins, whose remains are located in the Fontevraud abbey, found shelter in Dubrovnik after a shipwreck on his way back from the Holy Land. Mesic said this was "certainly more than just historic coincidence". As a sign of gratitude, Richard had a Romanesque church built on the place of today's Dubrovnik Cathedral. (hina) lml