"KFOR troop cut dangerous for holy sites"

2 January 2011 | 18:08 | Source: Tanjug

DEČANI -- A Serbian Orthodox Church dignitary says the reduction in the number of KFOR soldiers in Kosovo is "worrying and represents a very dangerous process". "The cut in the number of KFOR soldiers, given the permanent political and security instability in Kosovo-Metohija, is a very dangerous process," Archimandrite Sava Janjić stated at the SPC Dečani Monastery, adding that the KFOR reduction can cause a security vacuum in the province. KFOR has announced that by the end of spring there will be only 5,000 international soldiers in Kosovo-Metohija. Janjić expressed misgivings that the Kosovo Police Service (KPS) is capable of providing security in Kosovo, adding that it is therefore very important for the Serbian holy sites to remain under protection of the international military forces. The dialogue between Belgrade and Priština is expected to table this issue so as to find a mutually acceptable solution for the protection of the Orthodox holy sites in Kosovo, he said. Janjić underscored that history and the incidents that took place in the last few years - when Orthodox churches and monasteries were attacked by ethnic Albanians - "have shown that the Serb shrines in Kosovo-Metohija are jeopardized, and that it is highly likely that they will be damaged in future as well". "The preservation of the Serb identity and monasteries is very important and represents the key to survival of Serbs in Kosovo," Janjić believes.