"Deceit, trickery and cheap tricks": Ministry of Culture reacts to Pristina's new provocations

Photo: Tanjug/Tanja Valic

Reacting to demands for compensation from Belgrade for alleged destruction of monuments in Kosovo, the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia points out that this is a farce and another step by Pristina in the escalation of nonsense.

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"In this process, Pristina has long since lost its way in trying to pretend to be concerned about cultural heritage and is showing its real motives more and more openly. As we have pointed out on several occasions, this is an attempt to recklessly appropriate Serbian cultural heritage and abuse it in the function of creating the illusion of legitimacy of (Pristina's) so-called institutions," the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia said in a statement.

It is stressed that this attempt by Pristina, primarily addressed to the international public, starts from the bad assumption that it will achieve its one-sided and destructive agenda by "clumsily imitating a state" - in which cultural heritage is exclusively intended as a smoke screen and a hostage.

"In this case, the accusation of those who nurture the decades-long achievements of destroying the Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija is especially obscure, precisely at the expense of those who dedicated and sacrificed themselves for that cultural heritage," the statement added.

The ministry recalled that through the 90's, 2004 and the systematic destruction, burning and desecration of Serbian monuments, churches and monasteries, until today, the destruction of Serbian cultural heritage in order to erase the traces of the Serb people has continuity. The only thing that is new is that such attacks and false accusations against Serbia have now been added to the usual forms of physical violence.

"However, anyone who believes that because of the obvious absurdity, such transparent attempts will remain unanswered, is mistaken once again. The Ministry of Culture and Information will continue to tirelessly point out to the deceit, trickery, and cheap tricks and provocations, bearing in mind the essential importance and exceptional value of our (Serbian) cultural treasure for our national identity, and for the world heritage," the Ministry of Culture and Information of the Republic of Serbia said in the statement.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)