The Patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church and seven bishops accompanying him on their way to attend the SOC Assembly of Bishops at the Patriarchate of Peć were denied entry to Kosovo by Kosovo authorities yesterday. Embassies of France, Germany, Italy, the UK, the US, and the EU Office in Kosovo expressed concern over Kosovo’s decision, warning that it as contrary to the Ahtisaari Plan and Kosovo’s obligations in the EU dialogue. EU spokesperson Peter Stano shared similar sentiments, criticizing Kosovo for not only violating agreements but also disregarding the importance of SOC’s contact with believers in Kosovo.
In a joint statement, Quint countries stressed their expectation from the Government of Kosovo to “meet the highest human rights standards both in its legal framework and in its actions, act in the interests of all its citizens, and uphold its core values and responsibility towards regional stability.”
They also called upon both parties to refrain from any actions and rhetoric that could increase tensions and lead to incidents.
In the meantime, the EU spokesperson, Peter Stano also reacted, criticizing Pristina’s move.
He underlined that the patriarch’s visit was duly noted, and that with the decision to ban his entry, Kosovo had violated the 2014 Agreement on Official Visits, as well as:
“Blatantly ignored the importance of the Serbian Orthodox Church continuing to engage with part of the population in Kosovo, which goes against the fundamental principles of any multi-ethnic and tolerant society.“
Stano emphasized that the European Union continues to urge Belgrade and Pristina to fully and unconditionally implement all dialogue agreements, including the one on official visits.
Preuzimanje i objavljivanje tekstova sa portala KoSSev nije dozvoljeno bez navođenja izvora. Hvala na poštovanju etike novinarske profesije.
