NEW RECONSTRUCTION AGREEMENTS SIGNED FOR DUBROVNIK

( Editorial: --> 3032 ) DUBROVNIK, Sept 25 (Hina) - An agreement has been signed to reconstruct seven palaces located in the historic centre of Dubrovnik which had suffered damage during the war. Croatian Reconstruction and Development Minister Jure Radic signed the agreement on Friday with five firms which will do the reconstruction works on the burnt out palaces. These firms include Gradjevinar, Srdj, Gradjevinsko poduzece, Dubrovnik's Domizgradnja and Zagreb's Hrvatska gradnja. Another agreement was also signed to cover the continuation of reconstructing roofs of buildings in the southern Croatian city. This was renewed with Makarska's Gradjevinsko poduzece, which in the past few years has renewed roofs inside the old town centre with the support of the Reconstruction and Development Ministry at a cost of 1.8 million kuna (about US$291,000). The new agreement is valued at 2,440,000 kuna (about $395,000). Radic said the total value of the signed agreements amounted to 10.8 million kuna (about $1.7 million), which would be an impulse for renewal and establish conditions not only for 22 families to return to their homes but also would provide new employment for people in the Dubrovnik area. He said reconstruction would continue in order to finish the process by the beginning of next year's tourist season, noting that there still remained individual cases for renewal in war damaged facilities from Ston (north of Dubrovnik) to Konavle (south of Dubrovnik). Radic also emphasised that the Croatian Government and the Reconstruction and Development Ministry would continue supporting areas damaged by this year's fires, and would especially intensify reconstruction works in the earthquake-damaged Ston area and the Dubrovnik riviera. (Hina) mbr 251310 MET sep 98