Banat-Triplex Confinium EGTC

The Kolo Serbian Cultural Centre opened its doors at the end of March 2019, and over the past years it has promoted interethnic solidarity and the networking of people living in the border region through numerous cultural, religious, social and economic events. Since its foundation, thousands of guests from Serbia have visited the institution thanks to the nearly sixty ethnic programmes organised.

The “Key to the Balkans” was founded by the Mórahalom City Council on the occasion of the opening of the centre, and the travelling key has become a symbol of common will and common thinking. The Municipality of Mórahalom, the One for Another Association and the Banat-Triplex Confinium EGTC wish to support a Serbian municipality and association every year, so that the holder of the “Key to the Balkans” will strengthen the ties between the two nations by presenting its cultural, economic, social and religious values in Mórahalom for a year. The key was first awarded to the city of Zrenjanin, followed by Subotica and then Novi Sad, at Saturday’s ceremony.

As a side event of the programme, the exhibition of the living tradition of gold embroidery in Deszk, which is on the national list of Cultural Heritage, was opened by Zoltán Nógrádi, President of the BTC-EGTC, and Krisztifor Brczán, President of the “Bánát” Serbian Cultural Non-profit Association in Deszk. Then, during a service in the Chapel of the Life-giving Fountain, the icon donations of Demeter Krunity, a resident of Mórahalom, were consecrated.

During the ceremony of handing over the “Key of the Balkans”, the representative of Subotica handed back the key symbolising friendship between the nations, to the mayor of Mórahalom who, after his speech, handed it over to the guests from Novi Sad. After the ceremony, the folk dancers of the Nera Cultural Association and the students and accordionists of the Traditional Music Department of the Subotica Music School gave a colourful performance.