BISKUPIC MEETS COUNCIL OF EUROPE SECRETARY-GENERAL

( Editorial: --> 5499 ) STRASBOURG, April 8 (Hina) - The Croatian Culture Minister Bozo Biskupic met the Council of Europe's Secretary-General Daniel Tarschys in Strasbourg on Wednesday. The two officials discussed a project of the Council of Europe member-states' national cultural policies. Biskupic asked Tarschys for help in several projects in the area of culture. The Croatian culture minister is leading a delegation of the Culture Ministry and Institute for International Relations on a four-day visit to Strasbourg. During the afternoon, the delegation will present Croatia's national cultural policy before the Council of Europe. The idea of the project is to stimulate cultural policy, support its development and gain new ideas from other countries, which can help in the further development of a country's cultural policy, Tarschys said after the meeting. The Council of Europe's project includes 12 countries. After the presentation of all reports, the Council will make a comparative study of cultural policies in those 12 countries. Tarschys expressed satisfaction with the fact that the study also includes Croatia. Biskupic expressed a wish for the Secretary-General to support Croatia in a project of exchange of young people, in the organisation of Council of Europe seminars and conferences in Croatia and in the exchange of experts from the field of culture. Croatia needs this primarily because of its cultural heritage which was damaged or destroyed in the war, Biskupic added. "We also stressed our wish for cooperation with European countries in all areas of culture to grow stronger," said the Culture Minister. (hina) jn rm 081424 MET apr 98