Serbian Orthodox Church

Information Service of
the Serbian Orthodox Church
March 9, 2006

OFFICIAL DELEGATION OF THE SERBIAN ORTHODOX CHURCH'S HOLY SYNOD OF BISHOPS TO VISIT UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

A delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod of Bishops will be leaving on a visit the United States of America on Monday, March 13, 2006, with the blessing of His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle. The delegation is scheduled to meet with senior representatives of the U.S. Government and the United Nations, primarily to discuss Kosovo and Metohija. Serbian Prime Minister Vojislav Kostunica and, on behalf of the Serbian President, Ambassador Dusan Batakovic, his envoy, expressed their support for the delegation's mission at a joint meeting with members of the delegation and the Holy Synod of Bishops.

Comprising the delegation are His Grace Bishop Jovan of Sumadija, a member of Serbian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod of Bishops, who will head the delegation; His Grace Bishop Grigorije of Zahumlje and Herzegovina, a member of the Advisory Body of the SOC's Office of the Council for Kosovo and Metohija; His Grace Vicar Bishop Teodosije of Lipljan, vice-chairman of the Council for Kosovo and Metohija, and abbot of Visoki Decani Monastery; Hieromonk Irinej Dobrijevic, consultant to the Holy Synod of Bishops for international and interchurch issues and head of the Office of the Council for Kosovo and Metohija; Professor Dr. Bogoljub Sijakovic, prodeacon of sciences at the University of Belgrade's Orthodox Theological Faculty; Mr. Andrej Veric, director of the office of the Serbian Unity Congress in Washington; and Mr. Miroslav Starovlah, delegation secretary.

The first official delegation of the Serbian Orthodox Church's Holy Synod of Bishops visited the United States of America from March 25 to April 16, 2005. The visit resulted in several important meetings with eminent officials, institutes and media in New York and Washington. The visit was exceptionally fruitful and one of its most significant results was the establishment of a protective zone around Visoki Decani Monastery upon express orders of the UN Secretary General, Kofi Annan.

The Serbian public will be duly informed regarding these meetings in the U.S.A.