Diocese of Raška and Prizren regarding the letter of Mr. Kurti to Visoki Dečani Monastery

Regarding the letter which Mr. Albin Kurti has sent to the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Visoki Dečani, the Diocese of Raška and Prizren, remains on its previously clearly stated position that if Kosovo Albanian institutions want to show the minimum of good will for respecting the rights of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija, they are obliged to fully implement the decision of the Kosovo Constitutional Court from 2016 which recognized the monastery property. This decision has been persistently ignored for five years despite requests for its implementation by the Monastery and the international representatives.

Besides, the Minister of spatial planning from Mr. Kurti’s Government publicly rejected the decision of the Implementation Monitoring Council from November 2020 on construction of the bypass road around the Monastery protective zone. Undermining this decision which was adopted with international facilitation is practically calling for violation of the law on Special protected zones.

In this situation, answering such letters without previous respect of judicial decisions and the rule of law is absolutely pointless.

Serbian Orthodox Diocese of Raška and Prizren

Prizren-Gračanica, 27 maj 2021