Abbot of Visoki Dečani Monastery Sava Janjić today stated to RTS that room should be provided through Brussels dialogue where Belgrade and Pristina, with participation of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SOC), would discuss all modalities of long-term and institutional protection of Serbian shrines in Kosovo and Metohija.

Abbot Janjic stressed that any decision brought before the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina takes place would undermine the trust, and added that Pristina had prepared the draft law on cultural heritage and a strategy. “Those are documents that marginalize the role of SOC and disregard other elements of the Ahtisaaris’s protection mechanisms, which shows intention of Kosovo institutions, which in a long-term aims at carrying out albanization of centuries old Serbian heritage in Kosovo,” said Janjic.

He further said that there are a lot of sufferings during conflicts, but only in Kosovo destruction of monuments and graveyards has continued and after hostilities. “Our shrines, ownership and identity have never been disputed by anyone. Ottoman empire had guaranteed protection, particularly to Visoki Dečani, not to mention mid-century documents, founding charters, numerous manuscripts, which are important reference to various scientists who wrote about Kosovo and Meothija, and its relevance for European cultural and civilization,” explained Janjic.

Abbot Sava pointed that ‘without the dialogue, cooperation with Kosovo institutions and implementation of UNESCO projects is impossible’. “We hope that most of states will understand harmfulness of hasty motion with regard to eventual recognition of Kosovo and that they will give a chance to dialogue, which should come first before any decision,” stressed Abbot Sava.