CROATIAN, HUNGARIAN NATIONAL ARCHIVES SIGN COOPERATION AGREEMENT

ZAGREB, Dec 9 (Hina) - The Croatian National Archives head Josip Kolanovic and his Hungarian counterpart Lajos Gecsenyi signed a five-year cooperation agreement in Zagreb on Wednesday. The agreement envisages research and scientific processing of archive materials related to the history of the two countries, as well as the exchange of expert experience and information concerning archive activities. The two sides have undertaken to exchange experts with the aim of implementing the agreement. The document is of special importance because of the centuries-long historic and cultural ties between Hungary and Croatia, Kolanovic said. Materials which are of great value for Croatia's history are kept in the Hungarian National Archives in Budapest. The agreement does not envisage the return of original documents but rather the exchange of microfilms containing archive materials, which is of mutual interest. "There is a large part of materials concerning Croatia in the Hungarian National Archive. Since the end of the 18th century, all state institutions which were competent for Hungary and Croatia, were based in Budapest", said Kolanovic. "The agreement will be the basis for registering and photographing those documents so that our historians could study them in a systematic manner", he said adding the agreement also envisaged cooperation in studying and photographing the materials in the Vienna-based archives. (hina) mm rml.