Decani Monastery: Serb protests are not against KFOR, but against the Kosovo Police and the usurpation of Serbian municipalities

In today's statement, the brotherhood of the Visoki Decani Monastery emphasized that yesterday's incidents in which Serbs and members of the Italian KFOR contingent were injured were not directed against KFOR and the Italian army, but against the violent occupation of municipalities in the north of Kosovo by the heavily armed Kosovo Police.

Visoki Decani Monastery has been under the protection of KFOR for 24 years, primarily by Italian soldiers.

"We extend our sincere gratitude for this protection; without it, normal life would be untenable in the face of four post-war extremist attacks and the challenging circumstances we've endured since the Kosovo armed conflict in 1999," the statement said.

It is recalled that in 2005, the Italian Army was honored with the highest Serbian Orthodox Church award, the Saint Sava Medal, in recognition of their significant contribution to the protection of Orthodox sites in Kosovo from destruction.

" We want to emphasize that the regrettable violent incidents during the recent protests in North Kosovo should not impact the historically solid relations between the Serbian and Italian peoples. Yesterday's protests resulted in injuries to both local Serbs and Italian soldiers. It is crucial to understand that these protests were not directed against KFOR but rather against the forceful occupation of Northern Serbian municipalities by heavily armed Kosovo police.”

They add that the Italian army has made a significant contribution to the peace efforts in Kosovo, protecting the Serbian and other vulnerable peoples, enabling the return of many displaced persons and guarding the most important Serbian Orthodox monasteries.

" We vehemently condemn all forms of violence and call for peace and dialogue. Our prayers go out for the swift recovery of all those injured. We are committed to working with KFOR and all individuals of goodwill to protect our people in the highly volatile conditions we face in Kosovo," it is stated in the announcement of the Decani Monastery brotherhood.