Sava Yanjiq: You don't read your laws, we're on our way to Plav with Kosovo laws

Janjak has said the Special Protection Zone Law has been adopted by the Assembly of Kosovo, and this law clearly confirms which activities within the area are allowed and which are not.

I don't even have the slightest purpose to answer “to the words of the street” and I would have just noticed that some people clearly don't read their own laws. The Special Protection Zone Law has been adopted by the Assembly of Kosovo, and this law clearly confirms which activities within the area are allowed and which are not. What is forbidden without a chance of discussion and what can be discussed is stated. Transit routes (especially international roads) that cross rural areas, in other words, uninhabited areas (and the Decani area is for more part of the National Park) are prohibited 11x3>, Janjiq wrote on Facebook.

He adds that even if the monastery supported the construction of a transit road through the Special Protection Zone, it would be an illegal act under Kosovo legislation.

And we've never been against Decan Street. The problem has always been the construction of such a road through the Special Protection Zone, which is the act forbidden by law and legal analysis of EU and O missions The SEU in Kosovo. Simply, this issue cannot be discussed, if we agree to respect the rule of law”, Janjiq wrote.

The clear decision on this has been reached at the Council for Implementation Monitoring for Areas in Pristina and the municipality failed to implement it. The Council, as well as international representatives, suggested building a side road around the Special Protection Zone as the only solution to the problem. Construction of the side road began in 2014 and was inaugurated by then Prime Minister Hashim Thaci. Later, this construction was suspended for unknown reasons”, he wrote.

Janiq says the EU Mission's legal analysis of the route to Decani's Protected Special Zone in 2018 has reached three conclusions.

“1. The Special Protection Zone Law offers special protection for, among other things, the Special Protection Zone for the Decani Monastery. All activities within the area must be planned not to cause any damage to the historical, cultural and aesthetic environment of the Special Protection Zone and the natural environment”

“2. Current construction efforts and the target result of 40-fold increase in traffic and noise will have an inevitable and permanent effect on the preservation of the Special Protection Zone, its aesthetic environment and natural environment. This action will damage the clergy's way of life at the monastery. This violates Article 1 and 3 of the Law for the Special Protection Zone”

“3. Planned construction projects can be classified as banned under the Law for Protected Special Area, because, as the first point, they form new activities on the road, which will ultimately change the rural character of the road to the function of an interstate route (including a high degree of transport of goods and people due to the increase of 40fold in traffic and other roads), and as a second point, the primary responsibility for the start and development of work falls on central authority, which is the Ministry of Infrastructure. This violates Article 5 of the Law for the Special Protection Zone”, has aired Janjiq.

At the request of Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti, foreign embassies in Kosovo and KFOR, works on Decan-Plava Street have been temporarily suspended.

The mayor of the Decani municipality, Bashkim Ramosaj, has told T7 that such a requirement for suspension of work, Ramosaj says he has waited for him because of the September 2nd meeting in Washington.

This has been expected on my part because whenever our country is faced with some important meeting, the voice of the Monastery and the Manastiruiri's acts has been the same. It has been completely calculated especially after they have learned that on September 2nd it will be dialogue at the White House where Kosovo will be present”, Ramosaj has declared.

Such calls for suspension are unacceptable for the first of the Decani municipality. He says economic development only positively affects cultural heritage.