MPJD confirms rejection of Patriarch Porfirije's request to visit Kosovo

Kosovo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspore has confirmed that it has rejected the request of the Serbian Patriarch Porfirije to visit Kosovo.

The news has been disclosed earlier in the day by the head of the Office for Kosovo in Serbia's Government, Petar Petkoviq.

Kosovo authorities have said no such visits will be allowed until “Serbia continues to violate the Brussels agreement, not allowing the visits of our state officials to Serbia, and also not to stop by campaigning against the Republic of Kosovo in the international arena, both in integration and recognition processes”.

Petkov has said that the highest representative of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Porfirije, has left on Monday towards Kosovo to participate in the Serbian Orthodox Church's Holy Land of Archbishops in the Patriarchate of Pec on Tuesday.

“at 1:30 p.m., the Serbian patriarch has had to pass the administrative point of Merdare, to go to the century-old headquarters of the mayors and patriarchs, but at the moment he had to pass the point, stop from Pristina, arguing that the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church cannot enter Kosovo's territory and Metohija”, Petkovic said.

He has said the Belgrade Liaison Office, in line with arrangements and valid procedures, has sent the announcement of the visit plans to Pec.

“Serbian Papatriarch Porfirije, always, in every case and place, calls for peace and co-existence of Serbs and Albanians in the area of Kosovo and Metohija. Unfortunately, these are values and messages that no one in Pristina understands”, Petkovic has said among other things.

Serbia does not recognise Kosovo's citizenship declared in February 2008, therefore the two countries negotiate in Brussels, with the European Union mediating, to normalise relations.

The sides have signed a host of agreements, but not all have been implemented.