MEDER VISITS MONUMENTS IN CRO EARTHQUAKE-STRUCK AREA

DUBROVNIK, Sept 8 (Hina) - Manager of the Croatian State Administration for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage, Ferdinand Meder, on Sunday visited the historical monuments in Ston, Slano and other southern Croatian villages, recently struck by a strong earthquake. Meder said that he told Croatian Ambassador at the UNESCO Vesna Girardi-Jurkic to inform UNESCO's world heritage department of the damages suffered in Ston and Mali Ston, proposed by the State Administration to be included on the list of world heritage. The Commission for Cultural Heritage of the Council of Europe would also be informed about the damages, Meder said, adding that the reconstruction would demand a thorough art-conservation approach. Meder visited several villages with traditional architecture around Slano which were badly damaged in the earthquake. These villages were considerably destroyed during the Serbian aggression on Croatia, Meder said, adding that the earthquake additionally worsened their state. Meder concluded by saying that in Slano the most damaged were the Prince's Castle and the St. Vlah Church. (hina) ha 082105 MET sep 96