CRO FILM DIRECTORS URGE GOVT TO RECONSIDER AGREEMENT WITH WTO

ZAGREB, Dec 3 (Hina) - Croatian motion picture directors on Friday requested the Croatian government to announce to United States negotiators the definite withdrawal from negotiations on audio- visual services or recreational activities as long as these categories discuss cultural subjects. "In the long run, it will be equally detrimental to Croatian culture, the identity of the Croatian language or Croatia's audio- visual industry, to agree to the obligation of abandoning protection in the field of distribution, television broadcasts or sound recording," the directors say in today's proclamation. They demand that those responsible in Croatia once again "consider the consequences of an atypical agreement" between Croatia and the World Trade Organisation by which Croatia would agree to obligations in the field of audio-visual services. The proclamation says the signing of such an agreement "inflicts direct damage, not only to our local interests, but also to the endeavours of European cinema to keep its identity in competing with the global incursion of major American studios," because, the proclamation reads, the force of the incursion "threatens to obliterate cultural variety." (hina) ha mm