President Tomislav Nikolic and Patriarch Irinej discussed at the Patriarchy the possibility to propose Vatican model for the position of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) in Kosovo. They met in the midst of preparing for the resumption of dialogue with Pristina, since Serbian negotiating team announced intention of the government to nominate the issue of the status of the SPC and its assets in Kosovo, within the new round of talks. From the Patriarchate was announced that the President and the Patriarch discussed the problems that SPC and the Serbian people in Kosovo are facing, with particular emphasis on the perspective that can be expected after the opening of Chapter 35.
Within his first platform on Kosovo, Nikolic suggested that the SPC has a position which the Roman Catholic Church, or the Vatican, has in Italy. Then, SPC informally rejected this proposal, because it was interpreted that such relation with the Kosovo authorities could be understood as recognition of independence of the province. Instead, the Church has informally proposed international guarantees for its status and property in the province. This proposal should be a platform for future negotiations in Brussels, whose topic will be the position of the Serbian church.
Vatican, Italy and the city of Rome are not burdened by the past, national conflicts and religious differences that exist in Kosovo. For the Church, therefore, the authority of the EU or the UN would be more appropriate. That authority would be a pledge to define the status, the assets and mission of the Church, without direct contact with the authorities in Pristina and the conclusion of any agreement.
