An extraordinary autumn session of the Holly Archbishops’ Synod of the Serbian Orthodox Church would commence on November 6, at the Patriarchate in Belgrade, and Kosovo would be one of the topics discussed, Belgrade-based Vecernje Novosti reports today.
According to Novosti, the decision to hold this session was made during a spring gathering of the highest church dignitaries.
Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said that Serbia is being given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to get something for its people and citizens in Kosovo and Metohija.
"This is about whether we get something or lose everything," Dacic told RTS. He added that they could refuse that chance but that "we shouldn't play dumb now, because nobody is proposing that entire Kosovo stays within the borders of Serbia."
He said the dialogue is yet to continue and the possible solutions are yet to be proposed.
Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) is actively considering a special meeting of the Holy Assembly of Bishops with Kosovo and Metohija as the main topic.
As Tanjug learns from the well-informed church circles, the special meeting is a possibility even though the Church's stance "on the issue remains clear and unchanged".
The Church's position, announced after the May meeting, is that Serbia must not lose Kosovo.
Artificial lake and hydro-plant “Gazivode” are of strategic importance for survival and future of Serb people in Kosovo and Metohija, and together with “Trepca” and power station “Valac” are strategically important to Serbia as a whole, mayor of Zubin Potok municipality, Stevan Vulovic told RTS.
Mayor Vulovic is convinced Serbia would manage to preserve it as its own property.
The European Union should accept an agreement between Serbs and ethnic Albanians to settle their long-standing dispute over Kosovo, a top official of the bloc said, seeking to dispel fears that any redrawing of the Balkan border might reignite feuds in the volatile region.
The European Commission has endorsed the idea of a potential Kosovo-Serbia border change, going against Germany and breaking a former taboo.
"Whatever the solution finally is, and we should not exclude anything ... [it] should respect that the overarching goal is stability in the region," EU enlargement commissioner Johannes Hahn said at a symposium in Alpbach, Austria, on Saturday (25 August).
Vucic’s visit to Kosovo on September 9 will not be “a new Gazimestan” as some media announce it, but rather “anti-Gazimestan,” Serbian opposition MP and political analyst Djordje Vukadinovic told TV N1.
Vukadinovic termed comparison of Vucic’s visit to Kosovo with new Gazimestan as inappropriate, but it is media attractive. He assessed that Vucic is flirting and is well positioned, he has one face for his constituencies, in this case it is Gazimestan, no one will expel Serbs and on the other hand he presents him as a man of great reforms and cooperative.
Deputy Leader of People’s Party, Sanda Raskovic-Ivic said the Serbian President and head of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) Aleksandar Vucic by announcing a referendum on Kosovo wants to make all citizens accomplices “in the greatest disgrace of the Serbian history – surrender of Kosovo,” Serbian media reported.
“Vucic has no platform given by the government, let alone the Assembly, to talk about and makes agreement on Kosovo. He refers to the internal dialogue that looked more like a monologue,” Raskovic-Ivic said.
The Mayor of Medvedja, Nebojsa Arsic said that he did not hear from the Albanian representatives there or anywhere else that they wanted to join Kosovo.
Medvedja is not a part of Presevo valley. The majority of municipality's population are Serbs.
Serbia and President Vucic do not hide Kosovo issue under the carpet, instead they try to resolve it, Office for Kosovo and Metohija Director, Marko Djuric told Prva TV.
Djuric added, Serbia pursues responsible politics and wants to resolve difficult issues, instead of hiding them. Djuric assessed the meeting President Vucic had in Austria with Hashim Thaci as difficult.