Skopje, 19 August 2025 (MIA) - The Ministry of Culture and the German Archaeological Institute, represented by the Roman-Germanic Commission, signed a Memorandum of Cooperation as part of a visit to the Skupi archaeological site on Tuesday. 

The Minister of Culture expressed satisfaction with the cooperation established, highlighting its strategic importance.

"Archaeology constitutes a substantial segment of our country's cultural and historical mosaic and represents an invaluable heritage for future generations. We have a duty to research, safeguard and affirm this heritage because every archaeological find is a living link between the past, the present and the future," the Minister said. 

The cooperation will enable exchange of knowledge, methodologies and joint research, which is expected to promote scientific standards and the international promotion of the Macedonian cultural heritage.

"This memorandum is a strong basis to promote the professional and scientific affirmation of our archaeological discoveries, through the application of modern methodological principles, processing of material evidence and their promotion in an international context. At the same time, the cooperation will contribute to the development of cultural tourism as one of the key priorities of European cultural policy in the 21st century, and thus archaeological sites will gain a new dimension – not only as scientific but also as tourist attractions that tell the history of our country to the world," the Minister pointed out. 

Deputy Director of the Roman-Germanic Commission, Lukas Werther, stressed that the cooperation will be based on scientific research that will then be available to all those interested in the site.

"We look forward to our joint activities at this site, which has many hidden things that we want to reveal to people and build the capacities of Skupi," he said. In addition, a second document was signed by the Museum of the City of Skopje, thus taking the first concrete steps towards the fulfilment of this cooperation. The partnership is expected to contribute to the development of cultural tourism, positioning archaeological sites as attractive destinations on the European cultural map.

Photo: MIA