Just a few days after international officials once again criticized the Kosovo government for not implementing the decision on land belong to the Visoki Decani monastery, the Kosovo PM decided to share a post marking the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development on the 21st of May. Kurti sent messages on „interfaith harmony“, „respect for cultural diversity“, promotion of history and identity, and support for development and peace. While sharing a series of photographs, including those of the Gracanica monastery, Kurti stated that Kosovo has „exceptional cultural wealth.“ „We have restored and continue to restore mosques, Catholic and Orthodox churches,“ he also said.
„On the International Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, we recognize and appreciate the diverse wealth of our country and its role in promoting basic human rights and freedoms,“ Kurti wrote in a Facebook post.
He alleged that „Kosovo has an exceptional cultural wealth, the diversity of which is shown today in the form of material and spiritual creativity, inherited from our past.“
Kurti noted that the protection of cultural heritage provides numerous benefits for society.
„We have restored and continue to restore mosques, hammams, Catholic churches, Orthodox churches, historical areas, towers, and traditional houses, mills, historical and public buildings in order to promote interfaith harmony as a universal value of our society and our rich national and social history,“ said Kurti.
In a post on Facebook, Kurti also shared several photos of religious sites, including two photographs showing the exterior and interior of the Gracanica monastery.
According to him, „a lot has been done“:
„And even more awaits us – to improve the public museums where the material evidence of antiquity is preserved, and the traditions and values of the spiritual cultural heritage of our people are reflected,“ said Kurti.
The Kosovan PM added that excavations continue at archaeological sites:
„We carry them out based on the plans and with the management units in order to welcome visitors and educate our children and youth as best as we can,“ Kurti added.
Great steps have been taken to get out of the „emergency period,“ he alleged.
„Our next goal is the management and operationalization of cultural heritage assets. Together, we will ensure that our cultural wealth is transformed into the benefit of our citizens,“ concludes Kurti.
Kurti’s statements about „interfaith harmony“ and „respect for cultural diversity“ came just a few days after Quint and the OSCE pointed to the fact that seven years have passed since the Kosovo Constitutional Court confirmed Visoki Decani monastery’s ownership of 24 hectares of land to the, and the Kosovo institutions have yet to implement this decision, that is, register the land in the cadaster.
Unlike the Quint countries, Kosovo authorities continue to refuse to implement the decision of their own Constitutional Court, while top Kosovo officials even go so far as to criticize it.
Earlier this month, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said that she was „concerned“ by the Kosovo Constitutional Court’s decision on the Visoki Decani monastery, describing it as „Milosevic’s decision“ and „discriminatory.“
In addition to opposing the implementation of this decision, Kosovo officials define the religious sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church as „common“, „Kosovan“, that is, „the cultural heritage of our state“, using the words „Orthodox Church“.
On the same night that the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development, Samantha Power, announced that she had visited the Gracanica monastery as part of her Kosovo tour, describing it as a Serbian Orthodox monastery, the Kosovo Minister of Culture, Hajrulla Ceku, declared that it was a „cultural and religious asset of particular importance in our country.“
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Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
