The members of the Kosovo Assembly adopted in principle a proposal for a Law on Religious Freedom, which for the first time clearly and legally guarantees that the Serbian Orthodox Church will remain in Kosovo in its full form, report the Serbian media.

- It is significant that the law states that the Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija, its clergy and monasticism are an integral part of the Serbian Orthodox Church. The church will be enabled to smoothly manage the complete property that it has at its disposal, but also that it will have certain privileges when it comes to customs and duties in Kosovo and Metohija - told the RTS Igor Simic, deputy of the Serbian List in the Kosovo assembly.

According to Simic, this is a great success, both for the SPC and for the entire Serbian people, because, as he says, the law excludes a change in the status and the name of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo.

- The law also guarantees that no one will have the right to claim the name, seal, coat of arms or property that is owned by the SPC, and that SPC representatives will be appointed by the SPC itself, so that no one will be able to independently choose  with who will they talk from the SPC - explains Simic.

He points out that representatives of the international community in Kosovo provided assistance in the amendments to the 2006 law, from the time of the UNMIK administration.

- The biggest support to the Serbian List in changing the law on religious freedom came from the representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija, which ultimately had the final say in accepting the changes - said Simic.

According to him, the representatives of the Albanian opposition were against the amendments to the laws regarding the SPC, and many were bothered by the very name of the Serbian church in Kosovo, reports Blic.