English
Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski visited today the Skopje Kale fortress to announce a push for its significant development, with new museums and cultural offerings. He expects that the challenges encountered so far will be overcome in the coming period and that the site will be developed in cooperation with the relevant institutions.
There are many things that need to be addressed, and the Skopje fortress is one of them. You know that we managed to resolve the challenges related to the ‘Skopje – European Capital of Culture’ initiative. I expect that, in the period ahead, the fortress will acquire the appearance and functionality it deserves; that will be our goal as a Government, working alongside the institutions responsible for its various sections. I anticipate that, once this is all completed, we will have a truly exceptional site in Skopje—one that stands out as a rare and important tourist attraction for the city,” said Prime Minister Hristijan Mickoski today while inspecting the final stages of work on the structures at the Skopje Fortress.
Addressing the future development of the site, the Prime Minister announced that the Government would provide both financial and logistical support to the relevant institutions. He pointed out that the area has already undergone some landscaping, but that this is insufficient to realize its full potential.
If everything goes according to plan—and assuming we start this year—that will happen next year. The site is currently tidied up; there is grass, and some landscaping has been done so that visitors can get at least some sense of the Skopje Fortress, but we are not satisfied with the current situation. We know the Fortress holds greater potential, and as a Government, we will back the relevant institutions—both financially and logistically—to ensure the Skopje Fortress acquires the appearance it deserves and becomes part of Skopje’s status as a European Capital of Culture. I extend my gratitude to all the institutions involved so far, to the professors and experts, and to everyone who has worked on researching the Skopje Fortress; I believe citizens will be truly amazed by what will be on display. And I am speaking not only of the people of Skopje but, I would say, of the world as well, Mickoski stated.