"The recent acts of vandalism against dozens of historical and cultural monuments in Kosovo arouse the feelings of pain and anger in Russian people, all the more so since they [the acts] were accompanied with an outburst of violence and human loss," the commission points out in a statement circulated Wednesday. It expresses solidarity with UNESCO Director General Koichiro Matsuura, who said earlier that vandalism destroys the historical and cultural heritage of the Serbs and the Kosovar Albanians, thereby putting at risk their fragile inter-communal dialogue.
The commission says it fully supports UNESCO's intention to speed up the implementation of international experts' proposals aimed at protecting art treasures in Kosovo, adding that Russian specialists are willing to contribute to the restoration of the damaged treasures.
