Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Gordan Grlić Radman said that schools in Croatia and Montenegro should teach about the cultural heritage of the Bay of Kotor Croats, adding that Montenegrin tourist guides should be educated on how to protect the Croatian identity and centurial history of the Bay of Kotor.
Grlić Radman attended a conference on the “Identity of the Bay of Kotor Croats”, which launched in Zagreb on Thursday and continued this weekend in Tivat.
The minister said that Croatia wished to protect the rich heritage of the Bay of Kotor Croats by introducing a curriculum in both countries and by educating Montenegrin tourist guides.
“We will offer Montenegro to re-educate the tourist guides and augment, perfect the cultural image of the Bay of Kotor, the bay of saints,” said Grlić Radman.
Protecting indigenous heritage
The minister underscored that the Cathedral of Saint Tryphon was a testament to the strong Catholic and Croatian identity of the Bay of Kotor.
Symbolically, the conclusions were ceremoniously signed aboard a vessel cruising the Bay of Kotor, and will be submitted to the relevant bodies of Croatia and Montenegro in order to prompt changes and protect the indigenous Croatian heritage of the Bay of Kotor.
Grlić Radman said that the goal was to bring this cultural heritage closer to schoolchildren and tourists visiting the region.
“Here every wall, every stone speaks about a glorious past,” the minister underlined.
Croatia supports Montenegro’s European journey
In addition, Grlić Radman emphasized that Croatia supported Montenegro’s European journey and was willing to assist through its own experiences.
The conferences in Zagreb and Tivat saw presentations of more than 25 papers by Croatian and Montenegrin scientists from various fields.