Minister of culture Nebojsa Bradic visits Metropolitan Amfilohije

On December 15, 2008 at the Patriarchatebuilding minister of culture in the Serbian government Nebojsa Bradic visited MetropolitanAmfilohoje of Montenegro and the Littoral , the deputy of His HolinessPatriarch Pavle of Serbia. He was accompanied by Dushica Zivkovic, assistantminister for the preservation of the cultural heritage, VeraPavlovic-Loncarski, the director of the Cultural Heritage PreservationInstitute of Serbia and Danijela Filipovic, the chief of the office of the minister.

This is a first visit of the minister tothe Patriarchate. During these talks the significance of the cooperation of theState and the Church is emphasized as well as their mutual care for the mattersof culture and also for preservation of the religious monuments which belong tothe Serbian Orthodox Church.

A necessity of cooperation is especiallystressed regarding cultural properties, churches and monasteries of the Serbian people, not only in Serbia but inother countries.

Besides it was emphasized the necessary role of specialists of the Cultural Heritage PreservationInstitute of the Republic in reconstruction and restoration of damaged Serbian churchesand monasteries and monuments of culture in Kosovo and Metohija.

They agreed that the specialist of the Instituteof the Republic have to start as soon as possible with conservation of frescoesat the monastery of the Pec Patriarchate and at Budisavci.

In addition they discussed the preservationof frescoes at monasteries of Visoki Decani and Gracanica, which , with theblessing of Bishop Artemije of Ras-Prizren, should be done in order to stoptheir decaying.

It is necessary to reconstruct an old churchof the Assumption of the VirginMary in Djakovica.

Reconstruction and preservation of shrinesin Kosovo and Metohija have to be done in cooperation with the UNESCO, the SOCand the Republic of Serbia.

Metropolitan expressed thanks to Ministerfor received help from his Ministry and its institutions.