STOLEN MESTROVIC PAINTINGS RETURNED TO DRNIS MUSEUM

ZAGREB, Jan 26 (Hina) - Croatian Culture Minister Bozo Biskupic on Tuesday returned six stolen paintings of Croatian artist Ivan Mestrovic to the Mayor of Drnis, Ante Matic. The paintings were stolen from a museum in the southern Croatian town in 1991, when the area was occupied by the Serb aggressor. The paintings were discovered last week. Two had been buried under the garage of a house near Drnis, while two were returned from Belgrade. Today the paintings were examined by experts of the Croatian Restoration Institute, who concluded the paintings were in good condition and could be returned to the Drnis museum. Biskupic was satisfied the paintings were found and added the Croatian Ministry was putting considerable effort to return stolen works of art from eastern Croatia and parts of southern Croatia which had been occupied by the Serbs. Much effort was also invested to return documentation taken from a museum of the memorial centre in Jasenovac, as well as in tracing works of art from Orthodox churches in Croatia, Biskupic said. The latter, he added, had also been stolen during the recent war. They belong to Croatia's painting heritage, Biskupic stressed. This year UNESCO would stage a major conference on violence in art, with assistance from the Croatian Culture Ministry, he concluded. (hina) ha jn