Dacic: So-called Kosovo has almost no chance of joining UNESCO

PARIS - Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said on Thursday the so-called Kosovo was unlikely to get support for joining UNESCO.

Speaking to reporters in Paris after a meeting with UNESCO Director-General Audrey Azoulay, Dacic said he had asked the organisation to devote special attention to the Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo-Metohija.

"Preparations are also underway for the UNESCO assembly in November. For us, it is important that, considering our positions on Kosovo-Metohija, there is no Kosovo application for UNESCO membership for now, but that does not mean there will not be one. For us, it is good that UNESCO is a global organisation, rather than one based in Europe, where most countries recognise Kosovo. I think there is almost no chance of Kosovo's admission to membership," Dacic said.

He noted that Serbia attached great significance to its UNESCO membership and that it was important for preservation of cultural heritage, especially in Kosovo-Metohija.

He said heritage sites in the province were on the list of endangered cultural heritage.

Serbia has an active role in UNESCO because its ambassador to the organisation, Tamara Rastovac Siamashvili, also chairs the UNESCO Executive Board and cooperates closely with Azoulay, he said.

Dacic conveyed to Azoulay an invitation from Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to visit Serbia again, and topics discussed at the meeting included the geopolitical situation and the circumstances in which UNESCO was operating.