BELGRADE, Serbia-Montenegro-The leader of Serbia's Orthodox Church,
Patriarch Pavle, warned on Thursday that upcoming negotiations on the troubled
Kosovo province must reach a solution acceptable to Serbs.
The
patriarch, who will not participate directly in the U.N.-mediated talks
but is expected to have strong influence with the Serbian negotiators,
spoke in his traditional encyclical before Orthodox Christmas. Most Orthodox
Christians celebrate Christmas by the Julian calendar on Jan. 7.
"No one has the right to unilaterally change the status of our southern
region, without the consensus of all the peoples who live in Serbia, including
the Serbian people," the patriarch said referring to fears that Western
powers would pressure Serbia into giving up its historic province.
Kosovo has been a U.N. protectorate since 1999 when NATO bombing halted
the Serb crackdown on Kosovo's independence-seeking and mostly Muslim ethnic
Albanians.
Kosovo formally remains part of Serbia, but talks to determine whether
it becomes independent or retains some degree of autonomy are expected
this year.
For the church, at stake are also scores of ancient monasteries, some
of which were destroyed during and after the 1998-1999 conflict.
The leader of more than 7 million Orthodox Christian Serbs called for
"peace, freedom, equal opportunities, and equal rights for all" in Kosovo,
as well as "preservation of Serbian Orthodox sanctuaries, the uninhibited
return of refugees, the absolute respect for European values and international
law."
While the ethnic Albanians demand full independence, Serbian officials
have said they would agree to a broad autonomy for Kosovo but not its complete
secession.
The Belgrade negotiating team, which includes the president, prime minister
and other top officials, agreed Thursday on a platform for future talks,
but revealed no details from the document.
In a statement, the Serbian leaders said they will insist on Belgrade's
sovereignty over Kosovo and "substantial" autonomy for the region, as well
as creation of a Serb entity in the province, demands that already have
been rejected by Kosovo's ethnic Albanians.
The Serbian team also said it would demand protection of the churches
and monasteries and the Serb-owned property in Kosovo.
The government in Belgrade is particularly concerned about 100,000 Serbs
still living in Kosovo despite occasional attacks by Kosovo Albanian militants.
The patriarch urged politicians to find a solution by which "all will
gain and no one will suffer loss."
Later Thursday, Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica said he hoped to achieve
"best solution for Kosovo within Serbia-Montenegro."
"I believe the only truly realistic and lasting solution for the future
of Kosovo is the one based on international law, justice and widely accepted
principles," Kostunica said in his own Christmas message.
January 05, 2006 11:35 AM
