High Representative to Visit Fojnica
The High Representative, Paddy Ashdown, will visit Fojnica tomorrow. During his trip the High Representative will visit the Franciscan Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Fojnica, which was built in the mid 14th century. Through time, in addition to its religious role, the monastery has played a significant role in preserving the cultural and historical heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After a meeting with Abbot Mirko Majdandzic the High Representative will attend a ceremony to launch a facsimile edition of “Fojnica Heraldry” one of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s most important mediaeval manuscripts.
At the conclusion of his visit to Fojnica the High Representative will hold a meeting with parents and teachers of the “Ivan Goran Kovacic” Primary School. The object of this meeting is to give parents and teachers an opportunity to tell the High Representative directly about their concerns; discussion will focus on current and future arrangements for funding schools in BiH, efforts to raise academic standards and to prepare BiH students so that they can meet the extremely demanding challenges of the global economy; and the provisions that are necessary to ensure that affordable and academically excellent education also preserves and protects the specific cultural heritage of each BiH school child. All of this is being pursued against the backdrop of BiH’s drive to become a member of the EU — European education is based on the rigorous pursuit of knowledge and on cultural diversity.
We’ll be issuing a media advisory later today with details of press opportunities.