On November 16, at the National Theater House the Ministry of Culture and the Foundation for the Management of Butrint (Foundation) signed the Management Agreement on the future management of Cultural Heritage of Butrint.
The Management Agreement comes as a result of the implementation of the Integrated Management Plan for Butrint National Park approved by the Albanian Government on July 22, 2020. The purpose of this agreement is the good administration of the Butrint World Heritage Site through a Dedicated Foundation established between the Ministry of Culture and AADF as its strategic partner based on the Law of Cultural Heritage and Museums, 2018. On the Foundation’s Board of Directors, together with the two founding institutions, the fifth member is reserved international experts who will further guarantee the preservation and protection of the archaeological heritage of Butrint.
For the implementation of the new management model at Butrint, AADF has committed the necessary funds, to be invested in accordance with the vision of the Integrated Management Plan, so that the BNP is recognized “…as a sustainable management model for sites with cultural and natural elements, becoming a hub for the regional tourism offer and providing visitors with a unique experience, engaging local communities and financial institutions, while also serving as a model for other parks in Albania”.
In her opening speech, the Minister of Culture, Mrs. Elva Margariti thanked the AADF as the Strategic Partner in this new challenge and the valuable contribution of AADF in the cultural heritage system of Albania.
The AADF Board Chairman Mr. Michael D. Granoff emphasized the importance of creating a new modern management model at Butrint that the rest of the world can emulate.
As part of the Management Agreement, a Cooperation Protocol was signed between the Foundation and the Institute of Archeology to regulate the upcoming relationship between the two institutions, whereas, the Chairman of the Board of the Foundation Mrs. Elva Margariti and Co-CEOs of AADF Mr. Martin Mata and Mr. Aleksandër Sarapuli signed the Grant Agreement that AADF will disburse to the Foundation for the implementation of the business plan and performance of the Foundation.
According to the law on cultural heritage, under this management model, the public ownership of cultural asset remains unchanged. The Ministry of Culture is responsible for and ensures the protection of cultural asset values owned by the state, even when co-managed with third parties. Under this model, the administration of universal wealth (included in the UNESCO World Heritage list), may only be undertaken with the approval of the Albanian Parliament, thus ensuring sustainability and transparency.