Until the problem of further construction in Kostanjica is resolved, Kotor's place on the UNESCO World Heritage List remains questionable. And solving that problem is a matter of political will, without which any dialogue between the city and state authorities is futile, says the first man of Kotor after returning from the UNESCO committee session.
"What I can say at this moment is that I hope that during the summer we will have more meetings on this issue, and that we will find a model to get out of what at the moment seems like a dead end situation," said Vladimir Jokić, the President of the Municipality Kotor.
For months, 8 construction permits for the construction of more than 20 new buildings in this settlement of Tust villas, which destroyed the view of the islands of Gospa od Škrpjela and Sveti Đorđe, have been waiting for Jokić's signature. The investors are asking the Administrative Court to end the municipality's silence, and the possible financial consequences are not yet known.
"The Administrative Court does not decide on the claim for compensation, nor at this moment is there any claim for compensation against the municipality or against the state or against anyone else. Since this procedure has already been initiated before the Administrative Court for the second time, there is a possibility that the Administrative Court will decide on the merits that case, that is, that the Administrative Court will be the one to make the final decision on the issuance of the building permit," said Jokić
An agreement with UNESCO and stopping further devastation is possible, Jokić believes, only if the institutions act together. According to him, we should take advantage of the visit of UNESCO experts who will arrive in Bok in September. They will organize training in writing HIA studies, i.e. heritage impact assessments, but also present recommendations for the situation in Kostanjica.
"Let's not enter into creative interpretations, but to accept what we receive as the findings of world experts as such, regardless of whether we like it or not. If we do that, then space opens up for healthy investments, for healthy development, at the same time preserving what this area is," said Jokic.
If the state and the municipality do not find a common language, in 2018 Kotor could find itself in the company of Palmyra and Nimrud from 2015, concludes Jokić, in whose drawer about 30 permits for construction in the protected area of Kotor await approval. The issuance of building permits for Kostanjica began before the moratorium on construction in the protected area of Kotor came into force, and the consent was signed in 2009 by the then Minister of Sustainable Development, Branimir Gvozdenović.
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