Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
January 21, 2003

His Holiness Pavle - Serbian Patriarch, together with Their Graces Artemije - Bishop of Raska & Prizren and Atanasije - Bishop of Hvosno and Auxiliary Bishop of His Holiness, received Mr Marek Novitzky - Ombudsman for Kosovo and Metochia in the Patriarchate Palace in Belgrade today.

The talks mainly dwelled on the possibility of providing basic human rights (such as peaceful life, work and the freedom of movement) to the Serbs who remained in Kosovo and Metochia. The need to create conditions for the return of exiled people onto their hearts was especially underlined. His Holiness pointed out that we did not ask for anything extra for the Serbs, just for the same that belonged to the Albanians, and added that all the people of good will, governments, international organsiations and other agencies of the international community in this region should engage much more into this issue. Patriarch said that one specific problem was the destruction of priceless valuable medieval churches which according to all the criteria belong to world cultural heritage.

According to Mr Novitzky, the role of ombudsman is to protect the rights of all the people, both of those living in Kosovo and Metochia and of those who have been exiled and who want to return into their homes. Bearing in mind the degree of jeopardising of human rights, the activity of ombudsman has mostly been focused on non-Albanian population, mostly the Serbs who are the most endangered part of the population. Mr Novitzky pointed out that, in spite of a very complex political situation (especially as regards the return of exiled people), we should strive not to let political interests prevail over the observance of basic human rights.

His Grace Artemije - Bishop of Raska & Prizren added that in the international community everybody talked about the need for the return of the exiled into Kosovo and Metochia, but nobody did anything to make it happen.