“Kosovo prepared to hitch UNESCO, Serbia has no management over monuments”

Authorities in Pristina wrote to UNESCO to remove the four monuments listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Visoki Decani Monastery, Pec Patriarchate, Gracanica Monastery and St. Petka Church in Prizren) from the category “in danger”, to change the country of origin where they are monuments erected, as well as the readiness of Kosovo to join the organization.

In a letter transmitted by Ekonomija Online, on the Day of World Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, signed by Prime Minister Albin Kurti, President Vjosa Osmani and Parliament Speaker Gljak Konjufca, they explained the activities of official Kosovo institutions on cultural heritage protection and promotion of cultural rights. all communities living in Kosovo.

“On behalf of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo, we have articulated some specific requirements. We first requested that the four Kosovo monuments listed on the UNESCO World Heritage List (Decani Monastery, Pec Patriarchate, Gracanica Monastery and St. Petka Church in Prizren) be removed from the ‘at risk’ category. The security situation in Kosovo has completely changed since 2006, when these monuments were assessed as endangered. Secondly, we invited them to review outdated terminology, as UNESCO reports and documents still mention ‘Autonomous Province of Kosovo’ (now the Republic of Kosovo) and ‘Provisional Institutions of Self-Government in Pristina’ (already state institutions of the Republic of Kosovo). Third, we sought to begin the process of changing the state party responsible for these four monuments, removing Serbia and placing Kosovo in that responsibility. Although Serbia is listed as a World Heritage site for the four monuments in question, it has no actual or legal control over them, and therefore cannot fulfill its obligations to UNESCO, “the letter to UNESCO said. Kurtija, Osmani and Konjufce.

They assure UNESCO officials that “as before, they will continue to work for the protection, promotion and development of all Orthodox churches and monasteries in Kosovo.”