KFOR: No significant security incident was recorded in the last 10 years against Decan Monastery

English

Gazeta Express

22/04/2021 13:22

The Europa Nostra, which specializes in the protection of cultural heritage, has shortlisted the medieval Serbian Orthodox monastery on its list of the most endangered sites in Europe, but KFOR Mission in Kosovo says that no serious security incident was recorded in the last ten years against Decan Monastery. In a written statement to Gazeta Express, KFOR said that security situation across Kosovo and in the area around the Monastery is stable.  

Europa Nostra said that the Decan Monastery is “the only monument in Europe under such robust international military protection for a continuous period of 20 years,” citing the protection offered by KFOR. The move was criticized by Kosovo institutions and civil society organizations who have opposed listing the Decan Monastery among seven most endangered sites in Europe. A group of around 40 NGOs from Kosovo issued a joint statement claiming that the inclusion is based on false and unverified data.

KFOR in a written answer to Gazeta Express said that they have not registered any serious incident against the Decan Monastery. “We have not recorded any significant security incidents in the last 10 years against Deçan Monastery. KFOR will continue to operate in order to guarantee a peaceful coexistence in the area. All religious and cultural heritage sites across Kosovo must be respected and preserved,” KFOR said.

The NATO-led peacekeeping mission said that they continue to cooperate closely with the Kosovo Police and the EU rule of law mission EULEX, in accordance with the principle of first, second and third responder, respectively.

KFOR also assessed that the security situation around the Decan Monastery appears calm. “The NATO-led KFOR mission remains focused on the daily implementation of its mandate derived from the United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999, to ensure a safe and secure environment and freedom of movement for the benefit of all communities living in Kosovo. Within this framework we maintain our presence in the area of the Deçan Monastery. The security situation is stable across Kosovo and in the area around the Monastery,” KFOR said.

Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti and President Vjosa Osmani sent a letter to the Europa Nostra who presented their arguments why Decan Monastery does not fulfill the criteria to be listed among Europe’s most endangered sites.

Deputy President of the Europa Nostra, Guy Clausse, in an answer given earlier to Gazeta Express said the nomination of Decan Monastery in the list of the “seven most endangered sites in Europe” was based on various international reports, as well as the direct contacts with the Abbot of Monastery, Sava Janjic.

But Kosovo institutional leaders insist that the data presented in the document of nomination were extracted mainly from Serbian institutions, which as they say, for political reasons, represent a distorted reality on Kosovo. /GazetaExpress/