The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije, has been denied entry into Kosovo, a development that has heightened tensions between Serbian and Kosovar authorities.
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| The head of the Serbian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Porfirije at a mass, May 2021, Belgrade |
Petar Petkoviq, the head of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government, announced that Patriarch Porfirije was informed of the rejection of his request to visit Kosovo at the border crossing between Kosovo and Serbia at Merdar.
"At 1:30 in the afternoon, the Serbian patriarch was supposed to pass through the administrative point of Merdar to go to the historical seat of archbishops and patriarchs. However, at the moment when he was supposed to pass through the point, there came a prohibition from Pristina, with the reasoning that the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church cannot enter the territory of Kosovo and Metohija," Petkoviq stated.
In an attempt to convey the Patriarch's message, Petkoviq added that Porfirije's visit to Kosovo was intended for participation in the Holy Synod of Bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church at the Patriarchate in Peja, scheduled for Tuesday.
The response from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora of Kosovo was clear: Patriarch Porfirije's request was denied.
"As Serbia continues to violate the Brussels Agreement and not allow visits by our state officials to Serbia, visits from our side will not be allowed either," the Ministry stated.
Meanwhile, in their statement, Kosovar authorities emphasized the need for reciprocity and respect for international agreements.
"As it is known, Serbia has created a ministerial group to violate the basic agreement and to prevent the membership of the Republic of Kosovo in the Council of Europe. As long as it continues with this approach and a fight against Kosovo by any means, there will be no approval for such visits," the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo added.
In this context, the denial of entry to Patriarch Porfirije into Kosovo marks a new chapter in the relationship between the two countries and underscores the need for open and honest dialogue to resolve unresolved issues.