QUINT reiterates call for implementation of Decan Monastery land claim

English

Gazeta Express

30/11/2021 18:20

The Heads of Mission of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and the United States (QUINT) issued a joint statement Tuesday expressing their concern that despite repeated urging from the international community and its own judiciary, Kosovo institutions have still not fully implemented the lawful registration of the Decani Monastery’s land, in line with the 2016 Constitutional Court decision.

According to QUINT statement the non-implementation of this court decision and others undermines the government’s commitment to enforcing the rule of law and its respect for an independent judiciary. “Implementing these decisions are fundamental democratic responsibilities necessary for Kosovo’s democratic consolidation and future Euro-Atlantic integration,” the statement reads. QUINT encouraged the Government of Kosovo to put political disagreements aside, embrace its democratic responsibilities, and fully implement all Court decisions.

Despite frequent calls from international presence, the Government of Kosovo is resisting implementation of a Constitutional Court ruling on a land dispute case involving the Serbian Orthodox monastery at Decan. The judgment issued in May 2016 said the disputed 24 hectares belonged to the monastery and not to two former Kosovo state companies, which have claimed it ever since the Kosovo war ended in 1999. /GazetaExpress/