03 February 2019 - Minister of Culture Aleksandar Bogdanović paid an official visit to the Republic of Italy, during which he met with Italian Minister for Cultural Heritage and Activities Alberto Bonisoli.
Minister Bogdanović expressed satisfaction with the meeting with his Italian counterpart, emphasising the high level and quality of cooperation that Montenegro and the Republic of Italy have in all areas of culture.
The two officials agreed that the recent ratification of the Agreement in the area of education and culture in the Assembly of the Republic of Italy represents a strong foundation and an incentive for future cooperation. To implement it more dynamically, both sides agreed to establish a joint Committee to deal with the identification of priority areas for cooperation, as well as their implementation.
Minister Bogdanović highlighted the importance of exchanging experiences and knowledge with Italian experts in the field of cultural heritage.
"Preserving the rich cultural heritage, but also its tourist valorization, represent only some of the areas in which we will work with our friends from the Republic of Italy. Many years of experience, as well as the expertise and skills of our colleagues from Italy in this field, will be a strong support to overcoming the challenges that Montenegrin cultural heritage encounters," Minister Bogdanović said.
Minister Bonisoli expressed the readiness of the Republic of Italy to provide training in Florence through several education processes for several Montenegrin conservators and restaurateurs.
The Ministers also discussed cultural cooperation, primarily through active participation of the National Research Council of Italy in the field of research in the area of Duklja, the former Roman city, as one of the oldest archaeological sites that has been on the Tentative List of Montenegro for potential entry to the UNESCO World Heritage List since 2010.
Ambassador of Montenegro to Rome Sanja Vlahović also attended the meeting.
