Ambassador Kovač met with Kichizaemon Sumitomo, President of the Sumitomo Foundation, with whom she discussed cooperation in the field of restoration and conservation of Serbia's cultural heritage.

 

Ambassador Kovač thanked President Sumitomo for the Foundation’s support in the realization of the project of restoring the frescoes in the Church of King Dragutin within the Đurđevi Stupovi monastery, a component of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Stari Ras i Sopoćani", in which art historian Sachi Shimada participated on the Japanese side. She briefly presented the history and key role of Serbian cultural heritage in nurturing cultural identity, with special reference to monasteries and cultural heritage in Kosovo and Metohija.

 

Speaking about the importance that the Republic of Serbia and its institutions attach to the preservation of cultural heritage, she called on the Foundation to get involved in new conservation and restoration projects that are of great importance for our country, noting that cooperation in this area greatly contributes to strenghthening  the ties between Serbia and Japan, which this year celebrate 140 years of friendship.

 

The Sumitomo Foundation, founded in 1991, has supported a large number of projects in Japan and other countries aimed at protecting, preserving and restoring cultural properties of special importance to future generations.