Prime Minister Vucic on Kosovo and Metochia

Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren with the faithful welcomed Prime Minister of Serbia Mr. Aleksandar Vucic in Monastery Gracanica and consecrated the monument to King Milutin on 14 January 2015.

Bishop Teodosije, along with Serbian political representatives from Kosovo and Metochia and more than a thousand of Serbs welcomed in Grachanica monastery Prime Minister Mr. Aleksandar Vucic accompanied by six government ministers. While visiting the Kosovo Pomoravlje region, Prime Minister Vucic opened a maternity in Pasjane.

In Grachanica monastery the Prime Minster of Serbia was welcomed by Serbian Orthodox Bishop Teodosije of Raska-Prizren; then he uncovered the monument of King Milutin in front of the Grachanica school which bears the name of this great Serbian ruler and saint.  The Prime Minister encouraged Serbs from the south of Kosovo by saying that only if they kept their homes and properties they would save Kosovo and Metochia, and that the Government of Serbia would invest into the Serbian municipalities there. At the same time, the Prime Minister called upon the Serbs not to sell their homes and properties, and invited all to perform great works “instead of pronouncing big words”.

The Serbs in the Serbian areas at Pasjane, Strpci, Grachanica welcomed the Prime Vucic with a standing ovation, applauses, flags of Serbia and, traditionally, with salt and bread.

Mr. Vucic is the first prime minister since 1999 that has visited the Kosovo Pomoravlje region. Here, at Pasjane, where he opened a new, modern maternity, the Prime Minister said that Serbia had always had courage to defend and to preserve its property, that it had made progress mostly while being in peace and when it made decisions with “a sobber head”.

The Prime Minister visited also Strpce yesterday, when lots of children welcomed him. Many of them were wearing Serbian national costumes.Mr. Aleksandar Vucic pointed out that we do want to live in harmony and peace with the Albanians, our neighbours: - It’s up to us to provide you with the roads, to provide you with jobs. Actually, the most of the children of Serbia are born in Kosovo. This is our cradle and no one can stop us to have our children still born here.

The Serbs gathered in Gracanica he warned: - By keeping your homes you preserve Kosovo and Metochia, and show us how much you love Serbia.  We have done as much as possible, and you just show us the same persistence and the same strength as before.

The Prime Minister pointed out that he has obliged not only the Governmental Office for Kosovo and Metochia, but also all the ministries in the Government to take care not only about Leposavic, Leska, Kosovska Mitrovica, Zubin Potok, Zvechan, but also about Grachanica, Pasjan, Klokot, Ranilug, Partesh, Novo Brdo, Strpci.

Mr. Vucic visited Kosovo and Metochia along with ministers Bratislav Gasic, Nikola Selakovic, Nebojsa Stefanovic, Zlatibor Loncar and Aleksandar Vulin, as well as with the Director of the Office for Kosovo and Metochia Marko Djuric. The state delegation also talked with the Serbian political leaders on Kosovo and Metochia.

Source: Diocese of Raska-Prizren