About 30 diplomats with heads of EU, UN and OSCE missions, Quint ambassadors and the commander of KFOR visited Visoki Decani on Tuesday, sharing their support for the implementation of the Kosovo Constitutional Court’s decision in the protection of religious rights and heritage.
Fr. Sava Janjic, the Abbot of the Decani Monastery, welcomed the guests and extended special greetings on behalf of Bishop Teodosije.
„Today, we had the distinct honor of welcoming thirty international heads of mission, ambassadors, and other diplomats accredited in Kosovo to the Visoki Decani Monastery. The immediate occasion for this gathering was to reaffirm strong international support for the implementation of the 2016 Kosovo Constitutional Court’s decision concerning the land of the Decani Monastery, a ruling that has still not been enforced by Kosovo authorities. This court ruling was decisively supported by the Quint countries’ ambassadors as well as by the heads of mission of the EU and OSCE a few days ago, on its 7th-year anniversary. Furthermore, this gathering served as an opportunity to express strong support for the rule of law and respect for religious freedom for all communities in Kosovo.”
After a brief tour of the church and a photo session in front of the 14th-century Monastery, the guests convened in the conference room for an hour-long discussion.
Expressing profound gratitude for their visit and support, Fr. Sava briefed the diplomats on the principal challenges faced by the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo is facing and outlined the Church’s vision for the way forward.
Fr. Sava answered questions and clarified the Serbian Orthodox Church’s perspective on its future and the long-term formalization of its legal status. He emphasized the importance of protecting the Serb people, safeguarding their human rights, and preserving the holy sites of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He stated that resolving the legal challenges of the Serbian Orthodox Church could “significantly contribute to promoting multi-ethnicity and tolerance in Kosovo, benefiting all communities and aiding the continuation of dialogue,” the Church said in a statement.
“This event indeed provided an opportunity to openly exchange opinions, discuss a range of issues, and primarily to strengthen ties between our Church and the international diplomatic community accredited in Pristina.“
In conclusion, Fr. Sava expressed his gratitude to all visitors for their understanding and their collective effort to visit the Monastery. After the discussion, the Decani monks hosted a luncheon for all visitors in the Monastery refectory.
“Today we enjoyed another delightful visit to UNESCO World Heritage Site – Decani Monastery,” German ambassador Jorn Rohde said after the visit, expressing gratitude to Father Sava for his hospitality on behalf of his colleagues.
“Wonderful to join colleagues from Kosovo’s diplomatic corps on a visit to the beautiful, historic Decani Monastery today,” the US ambassador Jeffrey Hovenier also reacted, re-tweeting Rohde’s statement.
Special Representative of the Secretary-General of the United Nations in Kosovo, Caroline Ziadeh said she was pleased to visit Decani with international partners.
“She calls on Kosovo institutions to uphold rule of law and implement a longstanding Constitutional Court decision on monastery land ownership. Respect for judicial decisions promotes trust in public institutions and communities,” UNMIK said.
A visit to the Decani monastery with 25 other representatives of embassies or international organizations in Kosovo, the French ambassador Olivier Guerot tweeted next to a photo of the diplomats posing in front of the monastery, adding:
„Last Saturday, Quint reacted with a statement to the decision of the Constitutional Court.“ In addition, Guerot reposted the recent joint statement of Quint on the occasion of the 7-year anniversary of the non-implementation of the decision of the Constitutional Court to return the land to Visoki Decani.
Seven years have passed since the Kosovo Constitutional Court confirmed Visoki Decani monastery’s ownership of 24 hectares of land, and the Kosovo institutions have yet to implement this decision, that is, register the land in the cadaster.
Unlike the Quint countries, Kosovo authorities continue to refuse to implement the decision of their own Constitutional Court, while top Kosovo officials even go so far as to criticize it.
Earlier this month, Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani said that she was „concerned“ by the Kosovo Constitutional Court’s decision on the Visoki Decani monastery, describing it as „Milosevic’s decision“ and „discriminatory.“
The decision was also criticized on several occasions by the Kosovan PM, who sent messages on „interfaith harmony“, „respect for cultural diversity“, the promotion of history and identity, and support for development and peace on the occasion of the recent World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development.
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