No Kosovo Problem
Bishop Artemije blessing the Slava Breads at the Feast of Assumption of the Holy Virgin, Gracanica Monastery’s Slava, August 28 2007, Gracanica, Kosovo and Metohija, Serbia.
Bishop Artemije: Kosovo is Non-Negotiable Part of Serbia
In an exclusive interview for the Washington-based radio station Voice of America (VOA) the spiritual leader of Kosovo-Metohija Serbs, Serbian Orthodox Church Bishop Artemije of Raska and Prizren explained that, for Serbs, Kosovo province is not an issue and cannot be the subject of any negotiations.
“There is no problem of Kosovo, because the question of Kosovo and its status was resolved long before the conflict in Kosovo, long before the relevant United Nations (UN) Security Council resolution. Kosovo is an inalienable part of Serbia according to all international charters, documents and legal resolutions,” he said.
“There is only the problem of the Albanian national minority in the state of Serbia and that is what should be discussed during negotiations,” Bishop Artemije pointed out.
Imposed Independence Nothing but Temporary Occupation
He said that enforced or imposed ‘independence’ would be better for Serbia and for Kosovo Serbs than the partition of Kosovo-Metohija, because “everything that is enforced is not a solution, it is not agreed, and is therefore short-lived.”
“Enforced independence would be nothing else but temporary occupation of a part of the territory of Serbia, and it is known from the history of that country and of many other countries that no occupation is a lasting solution, but a transitional one, merely the seizing of a certain territory. However, if Serbia agreed to partition, to giving away any percentage of its territory, then that remains lasting and eternal,” said Bishop Artemije.
“The Serbian people, the state of Serbia and its institutions will not agree to the independence of Kosovo and Metohija and it is necessary to persevere along the principles that there can be no independent Kosovo or its partition,” the Bishop said.