Office for Kosovo and Metohija
Government of the Republic of Serbia

Đurić: Endurance and preservation of our cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija

Serbia has an important national task in Kosovo and Metohija – to preserve and cherish its tradition, culture and spirituality, but also to endure there, stated Marko Đurić, Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija at the 2015 International Belgrade Book Fair.

Đurić said that efforts must be made to ensure that the Serbian media are “on the forefront“ in Kosovo and Metohija in terms of media production.

“As a state, we shall do our best to help our people to not only physically endure, but to also continue to make use of the culture, education and spirituality in order to contribute to our nation, as they have done throughout the centuries, as part of our roots“, Đurić stated.

At the book stand of the Office for Kosovo and Metohija at the Belgrade Book Fair, exhibiting over 40 titles written by authors from the territory of Kosovo and Metohija, Đurić presented the heritage of Kosovo and Metohija to the foreign diplomats, sending the message that Kosovo and Metohija remains "the root and soul of Serbia."

Đurić announced that in coming months, the Office for Kosovo and the Serbian government intend to launch a major internet campaign, also bringing together volunteers, to enable people across the world to learn more about Serbian heritage and spirituality, but also the truth about what is happening in Kosovo and Metohija.

"It is important to ensure that our voice is heard," Đurić said, stressing that the campaign will be modeled on, for example, Israel’s practice.

He recalled that the recent campaign against Kosovo's entry into UNESCO has attracted tens of thousands of people, and pointed out the necessary for the state to have its say on what, for example, the Wikipedia site contains on the Serbian history in Kosovo and Metohija, given that there are individuals who tend to rewrite history.

The Culture Club "Kopaonik" from Leposavić took part in the art program at the Belgrade Book Fair, along with the students of the music school from Stanišore, attended also by Velibor Petrović, a boy who was stabbed in the extremists' attack in Kosovo and Metohija two days before. Đurić wished Petrović a speedy recovery.

Đurić also visited the stand of the Public Enterprise "Most Network" (Mreža Most), where the Belgrade Book Fair visitors can learn more about the work of four media outlets in Serbian in Kosovo and Metohija - Most TV, RTV Pulse, Radio Gračanica and Radio Kosovska Mitrovica.

All of Serbia, Đurić emphasized, needs to know and hear the truth about what is happening in Kosovo and Metohija - the truth about the present, past and future.

Đurić said that the media from Kosovo and Metohija should seek to "involve" the public in all Serbia in the everyday life of our people in Kosovo and Metohija.

"Only so can our country and our people breathe as one, only so can we be networked, connected and achieve the synergy and united action needed to create a successful society, and particularly in protecting our national interests and of Kosovo and Metohija", Đurić underlined.

“Your task is, as I see it, to correctly, timely and regularly provide public information to the people in Kosovo and Metohija on the one hand, and on the other to also present to the whole of Serbia the events in Kosovo and Metohija, and the life there,” Đurić said.

Those media outlets, Đurić added, should not leg behind any other outlets, and should provide information to everyone living in Kosovo and Metohija, not just to Serbs.

“In my opinion, we have completely neglected this aspect over the past 16 years,” Đurić said and promised to ameliorate this, along with the whole operation of the MOST Network.

He told the representatives of the press staff of the MOST Network that they too must improve the quality of their program, work more, work better, and produce shows which will be watched and also be recognizable outside of Kosovo and Metohija.