ZAGREB, February 5, 2018 – Montenegrin and Croatian culture ministers Aleksandar Bogdanović and Nina Obuljen Koržinek met in the Montenegrin coastal town of Kotor on Sunday to discuss Montenegro’s application for the inclusion of the Bokeljska Mornarica maritime brotherhood on the UNESCO world cultural heritage list without specifying that it is the heritage of the Croatian people.
Montenegro has nominated the Bokeljska Mornarica and Kolo svetog Tripuna (the Saint Tryphon Wheel Dance) for inscription on UNESCO’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity without mentioning the cult of Saint Tryphon and the local Croatian community who created the Bokeljska Mornarica.
Bogdanović said that “the Bokeljska Mornarica is a cultural value that belongs to all citizens of Montenegro and everyone has the right to identify with it,” according to a statement issued by the Montenegrin Ministry of Culture after the meeting with Obuljen Koržinek.
“The ministers have agreed to refer the matter to experts from the two countries to discuss it in detail in the coming days and try, through direct communication, to avoid any misunderstandings or open issues,” the statement added.
Croatia suggested that the nomination of the Festivities of Saint Tryphon for inclusion on the UNESCO world heritage list be a joint one by Croatia and Montenegro..
The two ministers also discussed ongoing joint projects and those that could further strengthen and improve the cooperation. Obuljen Koržinek said that Croatia was interested in applying for funding from the EU’s Creative Europe fund for cultural heritage projects together with Montenegro.
