COUNCIL OF EUROPE EXPERTS VISIT CROATIA

ZAGREB, Nov 3 (Hina) - An expert committee of the Council of Europe, in charge of monitoring the implementation of a charter on regional and minority languages, on Wednesday met with a Croatian National Sabor's committee for human rights and rights of national minorities in order to examine the level of the protection of regional and minority languages in Croatia. The European charter on regional and minority languages is a part of the Council of Europe's system for the protection of national minorities, head of the Council of Europe's delegation Philip Blair said. He said that members of the committee visited Croatia in order to gather additional information on the implementation of regional and minority languages in the country, and to elaborate standpoints presented in an initial report on the implementation of the charter, which Croatia forwarded to the Council of Europe. This is a regular procedure which is being conducted in every country, Blair said, and added that Croatia was the first country they visited given that it was the first one to hand in its report. The charter was opened for signing on November 5, 1992. So far, it has been signed by 20 countries and ratified by eight, including Croatia. Member of the Council of Europe's Committee Vesna Crnic-Grotic said that the charter aims at preserving cultural diversity. European experts and representatives of the committee for human rights and the rights of national minorities will hold a round table to clear up all possible obscurities from Croatia's report. The experts will then make a report which will be forwarded to the Council of Europe's Ministers' Committee. 8hina) it