Ivica Dacic has confirmed that the United Nations on Tuesday “did not accept to forward to UNESCO Kosovo’s request to join” the latter organization.
The foreign minister said this in a statement for the Belgrade-based daily Blic.
Dacic explained that this means UN’s proposal to discuss Kosovo’s request will not arrive at UNESCO, but warned this was “only the first step”:
“It can now be expected that Kosovo will, with its request to join, turn directly to UNESCO.”
The newspaper writes that “the diplomatic battle is definitely not over, as a third country could launch the request in front of the Executive Board of UNESCO on behalf of Kosovo.”
Medieval Orthodox Serbian monasteries that are listed by UNESCO – Visoki Decani, Gracanica, as well as the Patriarchate of Pec and the Church of Bogorodica Ljeviska would, should Pristina manage to join the organization, “go under its protection” – something the article said was “unacceptable to Serbia.”
