Serbian Assistant Minister of Culture Jovan Despotovic said that Serbia's presentation at the exhibition "Byzantium: Faith and Power (1261-1557)" that opened Tuesday at the Metropolitan Museum in New York is of extreme importance for Serbian culture.
He said that the presence of our exhibits at this year's exhibition offers the chance to cultural diplomacy to be in the service of protecting cultural heritage of Kosovo-Metohija.
Director of the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church Slobodan Mileusnic said he had talked with Patriarch of Constantinople Bartholomew, who opened and blessed the exhibition. The Patriarch promised to initiate the issue of Kosovo-Metohija's cultural heritage at his forthcoming meeting with UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan.
Director of the National Museum in Belgrade Tatjana Cvjeticanin said that the exhibition includes 350 exhibits, 23 of which are borrowed from Serbia - 14 from the National Museum, two from the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and seven from the Museum of the Serbian Orthodox Church.