UNESCO in Kosovo-Metohija

March 11, 2009.

Source: Diocese of Ras-Prizren and Kosovo-Metohija




UNESCO in Kosovo-Metohija



Meeting between Bishop Artemije and the representative of UNESCO

Bishop Artemije urges UNESCO to begin reconstruction works

as soon as possible



In Graèanica, His Grace Bishop Artemije received Ms. M-P. Roudil, Head, Section for Culture, UNESCO, Venice Office, and talked with her about the beginning of works on the reconstruction of Serbian holy places in Kosovo-Metohija.

The Bishop was informed of the activities of the UNESCO Mission of Experts which took place in January 2009.

Special attention was paid to the participation of the Russian Federation in the reconstruction of Serbian holy places and to the preliminary list of priorities which will be finalized in agreement with the Diocese of Ras-Prizren.

Bishop Artemije urged UNESCO to begin reconstruction works as soon as possible and expressed his concern regarding the extension of agreed deadlines for said reconstruction.

The Bishop pointed out that reconstruction in cooperation with UNESCO would be a contribution towards the preservation of the Serbian cultural heritage in Kosovo-Metohija and would give comfort to the Serbian people in the region.

Agreement was reached also on the attitude to the reconstruction of Serbian holy places envisaged by the Memorandum on Understanding. That is to say, according to Ms. Roudil, the representatives of UNESCO expressed their reservations about the reconstruction conducted by the Commission for the implementation of reconstruction.





Press department

Diocese of Ras-Prizren



March 11, 2009 – 9:27 am
Serbia’s police patrol at the administrative line with the Kosovo province was engaged in a shooting incident with two armed Albanians that were attempting to infiltrate illegally through the border.

The shooting occurred on Monday around 5 pm when an armed ethnic Albanian opened fire from an automatic weapon.

The incident occurred in Kursumlija municipality.

The two entered inside the property line of the Tacevac village.

After the shooting, both ran away towards Podujevo.

KFOR troops inside Kosovo were informed about the incident.

Meanwhile, a hospital in the Kosovska Kamenica municipality was set on fire.

The hospital is the only health facility that services 5,000 ethnic Serbs in that region.

Doctor Jelica Krcmarevic confirmed that he hospital burned down and said that efforts are on the way to “secure space in which Serbs from this municipality could obtain health services”.

The hospital was burglarized few days ago.

The hospital served the nearby village of Silovo that was cut off from electrical supplies by the ethnic Albanian separatist government for 9 days.

Over the weekend, Serbs from Silovo were beaten by the separatist police because they were protesting the denial of electricity.

Ministry representative for Kosovo Pomoravlje Predrag Stojkovic said yesterday that the separatist government has reinstated the electricity to the villagers.

President of the reagon’s municipality in Priluzje, Sasa Andric, warned that some Serb families are fleeing the region and added that the denial of electricity by the Albanian separatists is achieving their desired end which is ethnic cleansing of Serbs.

“Yesterday and today two Serb families left for Nis and three moved to Kosovska Mitrovica,” Andric said.

March 11, 2009
SERBIANNA