1996 WAS VERY RICH WITH CULTURAL EVENTS - CROATIAN CULTURE MINISTE

MINISTE $ R ZAGREB, Dec 29 (Hina) - The year 1996 had marked a positive trend in Croatian culture which had been very rich with cultural events, culture Minister Bozo Biskupic told Hina on Sunday. Asked about the most important cultural event this year, Biskupic said that the most important event for the whole of Croatia and for Croatian culture was President Tudjman's visit to Vukovar. The visit had opened doors to the whole of Croatia, including for preparations for the return to that part of Croatia, as well as an intensive reconstruction of cultural monuments, Biskupic said. Biskupic described as the most important international project the exhibition "Silk Road" which was opened in Zagreb in September. By creating the Croatian state, we had created the preconditions for Croatian culture freed from all barriers put up by the former regime, Biskupic said, adding that the Culture Ministry would continue to follow and support all valuable programmes, especially those of national value and would put in great effort in the reconstruction of cultural monuments. (hina) lm 291802 MET dec 96