A senior Hungarian official called Monday on EU countries to coordinate their efforts in the protection of their world heritage sites, at the ongoing 28th Session of the World Heritage Committee (WHC) in Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province.

"It is needed and also possible for concerted efforts to be made by EU countries to protect their world heritage sites," said Tamas Fejerdy, vice president of Hungary's national office of cultural heritage.

The glories of many cultural relics and historic buildings in eastern Europe have been fading against the background of speedy economic development, warned Fejerdy, who once chaired the 26th WHC session.

So far, there is no EU project directly for heritage protection, said Fejerdy, adding that most EU investment in eastern Europe focuses on tourism, industry and regional development.

Hungary is expecting to cooperate with other EU nations in more heritage protection projects, he added.

To date, Hungary is home to six world heritage sites.
 
(Xinhua News Agency July 6, 2004)