PRINCE OF MONACO ARRIVES IN DUBROVNIK

( Editorial: --> 7574 ) DUBROVNIK, June 1 (Hina) - His Majesty Rainer III Prince of Monaco arrived in Dubrovnik on Sunday to chair the 35th Congress of the International Commission for the Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean Sea (CIESM). The congress will be held from 1 - 5 June under the patronage of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman. CIESM links Mediterranean countries, but it is open to cooperation with others, under the condition that those countries engage in scientific exploration of the Mediterranean, said Rainer at a press conference. The 35th congress will focus on the protection and preservation of the Mediterranean. The 450 participants will discuss various physical, chemical and biological aspects sea protection. CIESM was established 1919 and today has 23 members, mostly from the Mediterranean, and several western European countries, as well as Romania and the Ukraine. CIESM is based in Monaco. Croatia became a CIESM member in January 1992 and elected to organise the 35th Congress at a Commissions' headoffice meeting February 14, 1996. Attending the press conference were CIESM Secretary-General Francois Doumenge and Croatian representative Marko Branica, a scientist at the "Rudjer Boskovic" Institute. (hina)dgr/ha 011313 MET jun 98