Đurić: Shrines in Kosovo and Metohija and Serbian and world cultural heritage

24. May 2021.
The Ambassador of the Republic of Serbia to the United States, Marko Đurić, said that Serbian monasteries and churches in Kosovo and Metohija are not only Serbian, but also European and world cultural heritage, emphasizing that it is very important that in recent weeks comments are also coming from Washington saying that judgments related to the protection and return of the property of the Visoki Decani monastery must be respected.

Đurić said for TV Pink that the new American administration undertook to implement the obligations from the Washington Agreement, which primarily refer to the protection of the Decani Monastery and the property of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija.

The fact that Pristina wants Visoki Decani to be removed from the list of protected monasteries shows, as Đurić believes, that there is no intention in Pristina to protect Serbian shrines, and that they also want to change the identity of Serbian cultural heritage.

Đurić emphasizes and reminds that our state has done a lot in the previous years, i.e. that it managed to stop Pristina's membership in UNESCO and Interpol, that it managed to cause the withdrawal of 18 recognitions, and in Washington, a moratorium was also imposed on Pristina for one year, to apply for membership in those international institutions.

"Pristina does not fully adhere to the Washington agreement, but to be fair, they have not officially applied for now. The moment that they start doing something like that and continue with the recognition campaign, Serbia will react in an adequate way to ensure that they are unsuccessful and that our activities are more successful, but we do not want to participate in that competition, only to respect what has been agreed on", said Đurić.

When it comes to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the Serbian ambassador to the USA says that the new American administration sees the dialogue as the primary responsibility of the European Union.

Commenting on the opening of the DFC Office in Serbia, Đurić said that the DFC did not come to Belgrade by chance, but to realize certain American interests, and that the arrival was a recognition that Belgrade had become the economic and strategic development center of the region.

When it comes to the presence of KFOR in Kosovo and Metohija, Đurić says that in the situation of the absence of Serbian security forces in the southern province, the presence of KFOR is of great importance.

However, he adds that the security of the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija is mostly guaranteed by a strong Serbia, which is getting stronger every year, and whose strategic number one goal is to preserve peace and stability.

Asked to comment on the apology of the Czech President Miloš Zeman for the bombing of FR Yugoslavia, Đurić said that that gesture was undoubtedly both the result of the visit of President Aleksandar Vučić to the Czech Republic, but also the respect for Serbia.

"It is very important in the long run, because if only what people believe in the West is discussed in the future, it would not be favorable for us, but if you have such statements, then that is something different", he said.

Đurić says that Serbia is good news in America today and praises the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia, Nikola Selaković, for transforming Serbian diplomacy into a modern and functional one.

"I do not mean only consular services, which are also being modernized, but above all political activities that aim to lobby for the interests of Serbia everywhere and in all places", Đurić said.

Source: Tanjug