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RT @markodjuric: Another grim anniversary today.
Exactly one year ago, on June 14, 2023, Kurti’s ethnonationalist regime – engrossed with resentment towards anything #Serbian – decided to add fuel to the fire by additionally exacerbating the already unbearable living conditions for #Serbs in #KosovoandMetohija by banning the entry of Serbian goods to the territory under the control of his regime.
Repercussions of this decision, as yet another in a series of unilateral moves by Pristina aimed at forceful expulsion of ethnic minorities, have been detrimental for the #Serb population to the greatest extent, but also for Albanians and non-Albanian communities living in Kosovo*.
Not only is this a gross violation of basic human rights, but it is also a violation of numerous agreements, including CEFTA, which should alarm the democratic and freedom-loving international community, and incite it to urgently act in order to finally put an end to Kurti’s extremist behavior and continuing persecution of the Serbian people.
Serbia at NATO
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RT @DecaniMonastery: The #Serbian #Orthodox #Church near Peć Desecrated
The Raška-Prizren Diocese expresses profound concern over the recent desecration of the Holy Trinity Church in the village of Naklo near Peć.

According to a report by the parish priest in Peć, unidentified individuals broke into and vandalized the church dedicated to the Holy Trinity with graffiti, including messages such as “Allahu Akbar” and in Albanian, “remove this church from here, there are only Muslims here!”, and “we don’t want churches, we want mosques… Islam is the only true faith!”
It is particularly alarming that this incident follows the decision by Kosovo authorities to prohibit the Patriarch and several bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church from entering #Kosovo. This decision prevented them from performing the Holy Liturgy and starting the regular session of the Holy Assembly of Bishops at the Peć Patriarchate #Monastery, a tradition that dates back to the 14th century.

The church in the village of Naklo is dedicated to the Holy Trinity and was burnt down during the March 2004 unrest. Restoration began in 2020 with the cleaning of the churchyard and cemetery. Later, the churchyard and cemetery were fenced, fixtures were installed, and the roof was rebuilt. Before 2004, the village was home to 300 Orthodox Serbs, who initiated the church’s restoration.

Attacks on Serbian Orthodox holy sites in Kosovo and Metohija have been ongoing and have especially increased in recent months. These attacks on churches and private property are largely ethnically and religiously motivated, specifically targeting the Serbian community and the Serbian Orthodox Church.
https://t.co/Y70enSRGJL
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RT @DecaniMonastery: 🧵(1/2) Statement from the Holy Assembly of the #Serbian #Orthodox #Church, 14 May 2024
https://t.co/dasfcDYyu6
Faced with the complete lawlessness that the current authorities in Priština are enforcing against the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian Orthodox people, this time by restricting the freedom of movement of the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, His Holiness the Archbishop of Peć, Metropolitan of Belgrade-Karlovci, and Serbian Patriarch, HH Porfirije, and Serbian bishops, preventing them in a completely unlawful manner, effectively through violence, from commencing the regular annual session of the Holy Synod at the Peć Patriarchate #Monastery. This Monastery has been the venue for the sessions since the first half of the 14th century, during the era of Saint Patriarch Joanikije II (14th century). The Holy Assembly of the SOC, before the entire civilized world, and especially before Christians, testifies that the Serbian people and their Serbian Orthodox Church in #Kosovo and #Metohija live in complete legal, meaning existential, insecurity.
Preventing the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church from visiting the Peć Patriarchate is akin to forbidding the Pope from going to the Vatican or the head of the Church of England from visiting Canterbury Cathedral. We bishops gather once a year from all over the world, from all continents, crossing numerous borders without issue, except when coming to Kosovo and Metohija, our spiritual homeland.
This lawlessness committed in the face of the world at a time when the authorities in Priština hope to be admitted to the Council of Europe, is a pale reflection of what the local authorities do daily to the Serbian people who have lived in their ancestral homeland in Kosovo and Metohija for at least a millennium and a half, as vividly evidenced by ancient monasteries and churches, graves, frescoes, and priceless icons. Therefore, the Holy Assembly urges all responsible international actors who have the ability to influence the authorities in Priština that by this act they have crudely demonstrated that for the Serbian Patriarch, bishops, clergy, and faithful people of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija, the internationally recognized and universally binding provisions of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the European Convention on Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and other conventions that directly guarantee the right to freedom of movement, the right to freedom of thought, conscience, and religion, the right to peaceful assembly, and other guaranteed human rights and freedoms do not apply. We also call on the Orthodox and all Christian churches and their spiritual leaders to pray and take other actions to advocate for our religious rights.
The Serbian Orthodox Church has never been, is not now, nor will it ever be a political institution, but remains the spiritual Mother of Orthodox Serbs, carrying out its spiritual mission unhindered across the world. The Serbian Orthodox Church does not have the status of a state church or political organization in the Republic of Serbia or in other countries and therefore cannot be subject to political measures.
The current authorities in Priština, through classic abuse of law and undermining the foundations of the rule of law, in the days when Orthodox Christians celebrate the Resurrection of Christ, have attempted to humiliate the Serbian Orthodox Church and instill new fears and concerns among the Serbs in Kosovo and Metohija, compelling them to abandon their holy sites and homes.
The Serbian Orthodox Church, especially in Kosovo and Metohija, has testified, and continues to testify, that it remains with its people regardless of the systematic and unpunished violence carried out against Orthodox Serbs for decades, especially since 1999 to the present.🔽
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#DYK? The @OHNationalGuard has partnered with Serbia since 2005 through the State Partnership Program.

On #Serbian Armed Forces Day, we commend 🇷🇸’s commitment to peace & stability in the Balkans & throughout Europe.

We are honored to participate alongside #Serbia in the @deptofdefense State Partnership Program, forging #StrongAndStrategic bonds. 🇷🇸🤝🇺🇸 #AgileForces #StrongerTogether #SPP - U.S. European Command

National Guard

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On #Serbian Armed Forces Day, we commend 🇷🇸’s commitment to peace & stability in the Balkans & throughout Europe.

We are honored to participate alongside #Serbia in the @deptofdefense State Partnership Program, forging #StrongAndStrategic bonds. 🇷🇸🤝🇺🇸 #AgileForces #StrongerTogether #SPP

U.S. European Command

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RT @DecaniMonastery: Bishop Teodosije: The Survival of the Church in Kosovo and Metohija is Important for Preserving #Serbian Identity
(Tanjug, RTV) GRAČANICA
Bishop Teodosije of Raška-Prizren emphasised today the critical importance of maintaining the presence of the #Serbian #Orthodox #Church (SOC) and its sanctuaries in #Kosovo and #Metohija to preserve our identity and heritage, urging for an increased congregation of faithful. "Our life and presence in these holy places, monasteries, and communities where people live, affirm that Kosovo is, and remains, our heritage. It is vital for the Serbian language and prayers to be heard in our sanctuaries, and the sound of children in Serbian communities, to lead a life that is at least somewhat worthy of humanity," Bishop Teodosije told Tanjug.
He noted that the Church in Kosovo and Metohija, including clergy, monastics, and the faithful, currently live in very difficult and precarious conditions.
"We cannot choose the conditions we live in or influence the geopolitical changes occurring globally and locally, but we can and must respond to all challenges, questions, and everything happening around us," emphasised Bishop Teodosije.
The aim of the Raška-Prizren Diocese is for the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and Metohija to be active and vibrant, ensuring churches and monasteries serve their liturgical function. "Prayer and the holy liturgy should help us remain what we have always been and what we should be, primarily preserving our being, existence, and identity," Bishop Teodosije stated.
The Bishop urged not to let anyone make us different from who we are. He added that uncertain times lie ahead, especially in Kosovo and Metohija.
"Based on what we hear and what others forecast, it won't be easy anywhere, especially not in Kosovo and Metohija. Yet, with faith in God and filled with optimism and evangelical hope, we manage to overcome all crises and obstacles, thanks to God's presence. Knowing the Lord does not abandon us and is our companion in all aspects of our life here in Kosovo and Metohija," conveyed Bishop Teodosije.
In Kosovo and Metohija, there are about 1,400 churches, monasteries, and hermitages, including Serbian holy sites listed on UNESCO's Endangered World Heritage list: the monasteries of Visoki Dečani, Gračanica, the Patriarchate of Peć, and the Church of the Virgin of Ljeviš in Prizren. These represent the zenith of Byzantine-Romanesque culture, with a unique style of fresco painting developed in the #Balkans between the 13th and 17th centuries.
These SOC sanctuaries, under armed protection due to genuine security threats, with their precious architecture and frescoes, represent a universal value, significant not only to the Serbian people and our Church, who built, renovated, and preserved these sites through the harshest times over several centuries and which serve as places of liturgical gathering and collective memory, but also as part of European and global heritage.
After the 1999 war, Kosovo Albanian extremists destroyed or desecrated over 150 Serbian Orthodox churches and facilities, including 35 destroyed or damaged during the March 2004 unrest. The Raška-Prizren Diocese is working on the restoration of damaged ancient Serbian churches and the revival of liturgical life in all SOC holy sites and Serbian communities in Kosovo and Metohija.
https://t.co/VOHOdF3qCX
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RT @DecaniMonastery: Comprehensove PHOTO - GALLERY of the massive #Kosovo Albanian riots in 2004 against the Serb population, other minorizies with vanfalism of #Serbian #Orthodox sites.
GALLERY WEB LINK: https://t.co/cQ5rqeXwDb
"In addition to the 35 Serbian Orthodox churches and monasteries vandalized during the 2004 riots, over 120 more churches were destroyed by Kosovo Albanian extremists between the end of the civil war in 1999 and 2004. The vast majority of these acts of vandalism and destruction have gone unpunished. Beyond the massive destruction of Orthodox heritage, including many medieval churches, Kosovo Albanian extremists continue with their baseless claims that the entire Orthodox heritage in Kosovo is ethnically Albanian. This raises a logical question: why would they destroy their own churches and heritage?
This is why the Serbian Orthodox heritage in Kosovo requires comprehensive protection from ethnic and religious extremists, as well as from the detrimental actions of the Kosovo Albanian government and local authorities."
(SOC Diocese of Raška and Prizren)
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RT @DecaniMonastery: Kosovo-Online: Memorial Service in South Mitrovica: Let me put the monument back in its place, so I can find my baby https://t.co/WCQlwS8X8k
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Today, as we observe the meat-fare Saturday commemoration for the deceased, a week before Holy Lent, many Serbs across #Kosovo have visited their ancestral graves. On this occasion, it is crucial to highlight that numerous #Serbian #Orthodox #cemeteries in Kosovo have been extensively or severely vandalised since the Kosovo conflict in 1999. Regrettably, only a fraction of these damages have been repaired, leaving most cemeteries in a deplorable state, marking a continuous 25-year history of ethnic intolerance and desecration. The accompanying photos capture just a few of these vandalised graveyards. Despite this, families continue to visit their loved ones' graves, lighting candles in their memory. The sight of vandalized tombstones serves as a poignant reminder that genuine progress for all communities in Kosovo remains unattainable as long as ethnic and religious intolerance persists.
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RT @DecaniMonastery: Response of the SOC Diocese of Raška and Prizren to media queries regarding the latest developments around the land issue of Dečani #Monastery
Neither Raška-Prizren Diocese, nor the Visoki Dečani Monastery, have been contacted by any #Kosovo institutions regarding the execution of the 2016 Constitutional Court of Kosovo's decision concerning the monastery's land. In recent years, we have witnessed statements by senior Kosovo officials claiming that the Constitutional Court's decision on the land of Dečani Monastery was not legally made and could not be executed, and that a dialogue with the Church should be initiated. After consultations with our legal advisors and contacts with international representatives in Pristina, we have expressed our stance that there can be no dialogue or deals over this binding and final decision (res judicata), as that would contradict legal principles in all democratic societies.
Since the Dečani municipality has for years refused to execute the Constitutional Court's decision, we approached the Kosovo Central Cadaster, which has the full right to register the land, which would automatically update the monastery's property status at the municipal cadastral level. The Kosovo Constitutional Court has also reiterated that the decision must be implemented. Unfortunately, we found neither understanding nor willingness to execute the decision from either the local or central Cadaster of Kosovo without any explanation. Our case has constantly been conveniently shifted from the municipal to the central level and back, thus consistently avoiding the execution of the decision for eight years.
Therefore, we expect Kosovo institutions to finally do their part in accordance with the rule of law and register our land in the cadaster, issuing the monastery a proper ownership certificate in line with the court ruling. We believe this would be a significant step towards the rule of law.
Regarding readiness for dialogue to improve quality of life and solve practical issues, our Church has always been and remains open to discussions with all people of goodwill, as we have demonstrated over the years.
Raška-Prizren Diocese, #Serbian #Orthodox #Church
Gračanica, March 6, 2024
https://t.co/b8DptZ3eLx
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RT @DecaniMonastery: The #Serbian #Orthodox Diocese of Raška-Prizren condemns today’s incident in #Prizren and the physical assault on a priest
This morning at around 8:45 AM in the centre of Prizren, in front of the Teranda Hotel, an incident occurred when a Kosovo Albanian male hung a KLA flag on the window shield of a Serbian bus and then started verbally provoking pilgrims from central Serbia.

The pilgrims had come to Prizren by bus with Vranje license plates to attend the Holy Liturgy and afterwards visit the holy sites of Prizren. When the Prizren priest J.R. approached the bus to welcome the pilgrims and advised them not to respond to the provocations, the mentioned individual physically assaulted the priest, twisting his arm harshly. A policeman and a local #Kosovo Albanian citizen immediately came to the priest’s aid, after which the attacker fled with his vehicle. This incident occurred in front of the pilgrims. After the incident, the faithful participated in the liturgy and venerated the holy sites of Prizren.
The spokesperson for the Kosovo Police for the Prizren region, Shaqir Bitci, has officially stated to the media today that the suspect in the attack on the priest has been detained and placed under arrest for 48 hours.
The Diocese of Raška-Prizren condemns this incident as an act of intimidation based on ethnic and religious grounds and expresses sincere hope that such events will not be repeated. It is clear that this was an isolated case in Prizren, where our clergy and theology students otherwise live peacefully, and our pilgrims regularly visit the holy sites of the city. eparhija-prizren.com/en/stat…
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RT @DecaniMonastery: The name of the city Peć in Metohija is first mentioned in the renowned Charter of Žiča, composed about 780 years ago. This charter granted Žiča #Monastery also several villages in Metohija, including Peć with its hamlets, Črni Vrh (now Crni Vrh), Stlpezi (modern-day Stup), Goražda Vas – meaning Gorazd's village, now known as Goraždevac, Nakl Vas (present-day Naklo), and some other villages.
This document itself is a testament to the ancient history of Peć. Peć and its surrounding areas were not granted to a church of local significance but to Žiča as the Serbian Archbishopric. This set the stage for Peć's future importance and development, where the Serbian church would build the Holy Apostles – the first church of the later Patriarchate's architectural complex. Soon afterwards, due to Mongol invasions, the seat of the #Serbian #Orthodox #Church – the Archbishopric and subsequently the Patriarchate – would relocate here.
Since the 13th century, the monastery of Peć has been the spiritual centre of the Serbian Orthodox Church until today, although the administrative centre of the Church remains in Belgrade.
While mediaeval Serbian royal capitals were located further south, around Nerodimlje, Prizren and Skopje, Peć remained one of the constant hubs of the Serbian mediaeval state.
The development of Peć in the mediaeval Serbian era ensured that the city remained a significant centre even after the collapse of the Serbian state, so the Ottomans, used the city as an administrative hub under the name of Ipek. in the Albanian language, the city is called Peja and is the fourth largest city in #Kosovo today.
Its etymology derives from the Slavic word 'peć' or 'peščera,' meaning 'furnace' or 'cave.' The name is likely connected to the nearby caves in the Rugova Canyon, which served as hermit cells for monks.
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RT @DecaniMonastery: #Serbian #Orthodox #Patriarch Porfirije was preventrd today to enter #Kosovo at the pass by Kosovo police although he just wanted to make a pastoral visit to his people and visit the Peć Patriarchal Monastery, his historical seat. The Patriarch made a short statement on this. https://t.co/wr6I6mmHkZ

Source: Serbia at NATO

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