Djuric: Pristina's ban on Patriarch Porfirije confirms the degree of threat to Serbs in Kosovo

In a statement to Kosovo Online, Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric expressed concern over Pristina’s decision to restrict the fundamental religious freedoms of the Serbian people by denying Patriarch Porfirije and the bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) from attending the commencement of the Assembly at the Pec Patriarchate. He emphasized that this act reaffirms the significant endangerment and disenfranchisement faced by the Serbian people in Kosovo.

Djuric added that this incident provides Serbia with a strong argument in its political and diplomatic efforts against Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe.

“In an international organization that upholds the rule of law, and respects human rights and freedoms, following this act by Pristina and all the ethnically motivated incidents against the Serbian people and the Serbian Orthodox Church since the ascension of the chauvinistic regime of Albin Kurti, there should be no room even to consider the possibility of Pristina’s membership,” Djuric highlighted.

He pointed out that this move by Pristina has given Serbia even more grounds to raise its voice.

“This has provided us with more reasons and arguments to elevate our voice about the additional pressures on the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija and an additional argument that Pristina does not respect the rights of Serbs,” concluded the head of Serbian diplomacy.