Abbot Sava Janjic, in a video message, says that he believes that decision on Kosovo membership in UNESCO should be postponed until Belgrade and Pristina, under the Brussels dialogue, clearly define mechanisms of institutional protection of the Serbian holy sites in Kosovo with international guarantees.
“We are seriously concerned due to the Kosovo membership in UNESCO, not because we are against the promotion of culture and education in Kosovo and Metohija, but because it is very difficult to trust the Kosovo institutions,” said Janjic in the video message.
He says, there has been “an incredible gap” between the statements for the international media in which Kosovo officials promise full protection and the latest “extremely discriminatory” draft law on cultural heritage and the strategy in Kosovo, which gives a different picture of what the authorities in Kosovo can do, if they be given full status in UNESCO.
“Instead of acting as a protection mechanism, membership in UNESCO may easily become a mechanism of cultural repression in KiM,” warns Janjic, reminding that two Serbian churches were burglarized few days ago.
He says that the Brussels dialogue is an essential process, which aim is to promote confidence and resolve all the practical issues.
Attempts of some Albanian intellectuals in Kosovo are particularly insulting for us, who are actively working on historical revisionism, said Janjic.
The same message, on the Serbian language, in a written appeal, was published and on Facebook profile and Twitter account of Abbot Sava Janjic.
