WCRP Internet-site:
Members of SOC delegation and representatives
of the World Conference of Religions for Peace
"We are aware of the suffering of the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo and we are truly in awe of the history of your Church," said Dr. Wendley. He said that he and his associates have seen many torched churches, monasteries and other holy shrines in Kosovo and Metohija. "You are bearing a heavy burden," said Dr. Wendley, adding that as faithful ourselves "we must all adhere to one standard, whether we are in the minority or the majority".
Dr. Wendley emphasized that he had studied the SOC's Ten Principles for negotiations on the future status of Kosovo and Metohija in detail and that he would everything in his power to help in the spirit of solidarity for the efforts of the SOC. He said that the spirit of mutual solidarity must be nurtured and noted that when he condemned the SFOR attack on the parish home in Pale [in Republika Srpska, Bosnia-Herzegovina] and the serious injury of Protopresbyter-Staurophor Jeremija Starovlah and his son, catechist Aleksandar, he expressed the spirit of solidarity toward which the World Conference of Religions for Peace is striving.
Bishop Jovan said that the SOC and her faithful are bleeding in Kosovo and Metohija. "We are here to speak in the language of the Gospel which teaches us 'do not do unto anyone that which you do not want him to do unto you' and that is why we are making the effort to extend the hand of reconciliation to others just as we have done through the centuries," emphasized Bishop Jovan.
"Our Church and people must have protection for their holy shrines and their restoration. Our forefathers built 1,600 altars in Kosovo and Metohija in previous centuries: Since 1999, 150 holy shrines and over 70 cemeteries have been destroyed. We must protect that which we have created over the centuries; and if Serbs leave from Kosovo and Metohija, then this Christian culture, recognized throughout the world, will also disappear," said Bishop Jovan.
Of critical importance, as well, is the restitution of property to the people and the Church, which was taken by the Communists and usurped by the local Albanian population. In addition to this, decentralization is also necessary, i.e. local administration that will make it possible for people to have security and a life worthy of humans as beings in God's likeness. Bishop Jovan expressed the hope that Mr. Wendley and the World Conference of Religions for Peace would help, as they have done many times in the past, these efforts of the SOC for respecting basic human rights.
Dr. Wendley said that the protection of churches and monasteries, as well as the return of displaced people, are basic standards. "If we renounce these standards, we have renounced all those on which common life in the international community rests," emphasized Dr. Wendley. During his visit to Decani Monastery he saw for himself the community of love that the Decani monks demonstrated toward many people from other countries and other religions.
Bishop Teodosije informed Mr. Wendley and his associates that an inter-faith conference will be held at the beginning of May in the Pec Patriarchate, which will be hosted by the SOC. This conference, said the bishop, will send a message of peace and tolerance to all in Kosovo and Metohija. We are aware, said the bishop, that a wrong stereotype and bias about the SOC has been created among the Albanians but the Church has consistently opposed all violence and she is ready to offer the hand of reconciliation because her evangelical duty and responsibility is to transcend conflicts among individuals and peoples in the spirit of Christ's love and forgiveness.
Fr. Leonid Kiskovsky asked Bishop Jovan as a member of the Holy Synod of Bishops to convey his greetings and gratitude to His Holiness Serbian Patriarch Pavle for sending this delegation to the U.S.A., asking for his holy prayers before the Lord.
Meeting at the Bosnia-Herzegovina Mission to the United Nations in New York
On Thursday, March 23, 2006 at 10:00 a.m. the SOC delegation met with the chief of the Bosnia-Herzegovina Mission to the United Nations, Ambassador Milos Prica, and the first secretary of the Mission, Mr. Zeljko Vukobratovic.
Bishop Jovan, as the head of the delegation, informed the Bosnia-Herzegovina Mission with the activities and goals of the SOC delegation in Washington and New York, as well as with the main results of the meetings with representatives of the U.S. Administration and Congress, UN institutions and other officials. Bishop Teodosije informed Ambassador Prica of the situation in Kosovo and Metohija and the difficulties confronting the people and the SOC in Kosovo and Metohija at a time when a solution for the future status of Kosovo and Metohija is being sought.
Ambassador Prica expressed the position of Bosnia-Herzegovina that the issue of Kosovo and Metohija is an internal issue of Serbia and Montenegro, as well as that Bosnia-Herzegovina will support any solution that is agreed upon by Belgrade and Pristina.
Seven year anniversary of the bombing of Yugoslavia commemorated in Gracanica
GRACANICA, March 24, 2006 (Beta) - Serbs in central Kosovo and Metohija commemorated the seventh anniversary of the beginning of the bombing of the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in Gracanica today by lighting candles in front of the monument to Serbian soldiers.
Today is the seven year anniversary of the NATO bombing of Serbia
The commemoration of the anniversary of the NATO bombing began at 11:00 a.m. with sirens indicating an air threat. At that time only representatives of the Kosovo district appeared in the center of Gracanica and lit candles with some one hundred citizens.
Unlike previous years, this year's activities were not synchronized. A memorial service for the victims of the bombing was not served in Gracanica Monastery.
Only on Friday morning did local radio stations began to broadcast announcements regarding the commemoration of the anniversary, and that is probably the reason why there was not a more massive response from citizens.
In contrast to the small number of Serbs, at the scheduled time of the commemoration of the NATO bombing of FRY a reinforced Kosovo Police Service and KFOR presence was noted.
| Anniversary of NATO intervention in Yugoslavia |
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Belgrade -- On today's date seven years ago the North Atlantic Treaty Alliance began the bombing of Yugoslavia, which lasted 78 days.
 | | During the bombing (FoNet) | Air strikes began at approximately 7:30 p.m. and the government at that time, led by Slobodan Milosevic, declared a state of war. The bombing ended on June 9 with the signing of the Kumanovo Agreement and the adoption of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244.
These acts foresaw the withdrawal of the Yugoslav Army from Kosovo, when international troops were then deployed. The bombing resulted in serious damage to infrastructure, industrial buildings, schools, medical institutions, media houses and cultural monuments. According to different assessments, between 1,200 and 2,500 people were killed. The mother of one of the Radio Television Serbia employees killed, Zanka Stojanovic, said that the last seven years have been years of sorrow, pain and misery for her. "I am not here alone. Here with us is a very large number of mothers. Our pain continues, we cannot [do otherwise], we go from cemetery to cemetery. Of course, we cannot forget, and we wish to remind this Serbian people of ours, who praises those who killed our children. We cannot come to terms with this," said Zanka Stojanovic.
Although seven years have passed since the bombing the consequences are still visible. Among those in the capital one of the most obvious is the building of the Yugoslav Army General Staff on the corner of Kneza Milosa and Nemanjina Streets.
Defense ministry spokesman Petar Boskovic told B92 that negotiations on the way in which the problem of destroyed military buildings [sic] will be resolved is in progress. "For example, the old building of the General Staff across the road from the Government building will be reconstructed in this manner, meaning its facade will match that of the City Assembly, in such a way that a part of the military museum and another building belonging to the military pension fund will be rededicated to the reconstruction of that building. The buildings of the old General Staff B will be leased, exchanged or sold," explained Boskovic.
Belgrade mayor Nenad Bogdanovic said that the city is ready to help in preparing the buildings for use. Bogdanovic said that there is a problem in the institutions presently using this property. "They are not realistic in their assessments of how much they can realize from such a good location. But you know the investor that would come here would have to first destroy everything and determine whether there are any projectiles there. He would have to invest and we had several meetings with the army recently. So as far as we are concerned we are prepared to do everything to clean things up and start using them. Unfortunately, none of those locations is directly under the jurisdiction of the city administration," said Bogdanovic.
In 43 locations in Serbia, not counting Kosovo, there are still projectiles from the time of the NATO bombing. Most of these locations are in the extreme south of Serbia but in Belgrade there are two undetonated bombs, in Zvezdara and Barajevo quarters, sources in the Defense Ministry told Beta. The remaining projectiles, they said, are not a direct threat to people. In order to remove just one bomb about 100,000 euros and a month of an expert's time is necessary.
The seventh anniversary was commemorated in Nis by the laying of a wreath on the memorial marker to the victims of the bombing. Wreaths were placed on the memorial and the memorial chapel in front of the Nis fortress by Nis mayor Smiljko Kostic and representatives of the city and its municipalities, as well as representatives of veterans' associations and victims' families. In the 78 days of the war Nis was bombed 55 times. The city was targeted with more than 300 projectiles and 16 containers with more than 3,000 cluster bombs. During the bombing 55 soldiers, policemen and civilians were killed in Nis.
Serbs from central kosovo.netmemorated the seven year anniversary of the bombing in Gracanica by lighting candles in front of the monument to Serbian soldiers. The commemoration began at 11:00 a.m. with sirens, and at that time only representatives of the Kosovo district appeared in the center of Gracanica and lit candles with some one hundred citizens. In contrast to the small number of Serbs, at the scheduled time of the commemoration of the NATO bombing of FRY a reinforced Kosovo Police Service and KFOR presence was noted.
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