HELSINKI CONFERENCE TO DISCUSS WAR DAMAGE TO CROATIAN CULTURAL HER

HER $ ITAGE HELSINKI, May 31 (Hina) - Council of Europe secretary Daniel Tarschys on Friday condemned the destruction of the Croatian and Bosnian cultural heritage during the war waged on these two countries. Addressing a ministerial conference on the protection of cultural heritage that opened today in Helsinki, Finland, Tarschys stressed the need for all Council of Europe members to take an active part in saving that heritage, the Croatian State Administration for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage said on Friday in a statement. The conference is organised by the Council of Europe and Finland's Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. The main topic of the Conference is "Cultural Heritage as an Economic and Social Challenge." There will also be period reserved for discussing the most burning issues of heritage protection. A discussion on the state of the Croatian and Bosnian heritage after the war is slated for the second day of the Conference. Croatia is presenting a material showing the extent of war damage and detailing reconstruction projects. The material was distributed to all participants by the Council of Europe. An exhibition featuring Croatia's most renowned cultural monuments was also mounted at the conference hall. (hina) as 311337 MET may 96