FOUR NATIONAL SOCIETIES TO DISCUSS CULTURAL IDENTITY IN BOSNIA

SARAJEVO, June 21 (Hina) - Four biggest national cultural societies in Bosnia-Herzegovina will organise their first joint round table on the cultural identity in the country, since the Dayton Accords. The table, convened for June 24 and 25, will gather representatives of the cultural societies of Croats called "Napredak", Bosniaks (Moslems) called "Preporod", Serbs called "Prosvjeta" and of Jews called "La benevolencija". Presidents Franjo Topic of "Napredak", Munib Maglajlic of "Preporod", Teodor Romanic of "Prosvjeta" and Jakob Finci of "La benevolencija", on Monday confirmed that the round table would also mark the beginning of closer cooperation and the work in joint projects. "Cultural societies have so far been engaged in activities in their own national environment, but we would like now to open up possibilities for working together on various topics within the state framework of Bosnia-Herzegovina," Maglajlic told a news conference in Sarajevo. Franjo Topic added that one cannot speak of the future of Bosnia without considering both common and specific traits in the cultural identity. Finci told reporters that the wish of organisers of the event is to show, through discussions, meeting points of four peoples in Bosnia-Herzegovina that cherish their authentic cultures and simultaneously the joint dimension created through cooperation and coexistence. The table is to attract some 30 intellectuals from Sarajevo, Zagreb and Belgrade. (hina) ms