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The Information Service of the Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija
Daily press briefing of the Serb National Council of Kosovo and Metohija
Gracanica, October 24, 2000
Bishop Artemije's Berlin visit continues
Meeting with representatives of the CDU-CSU coalition
Meeting with representatives of the FDP
Business lunch with representatives of the SDP's Foreign Policy Group
German Ministry of Foreign Affairs issues statement upon Bishop Artemije's visit
Bishop Artemije pleased with Berlin visit
BISHOP ARTEMIJE'S BERLIN VISIT CONTINUES
Today (October 24) is the final day of the official visit of the Episcope
of Raska and Prizren, Artemije, and Protosyncellus Sava Janjic to Berlin
at the invitation of the German minister of foreign affairs, Mr. Joseph
Fischer. Following yesterday's meeting with Minister Fischer and representative
of the Green Alliance, today meetings were held with representatives of
the CDU, CSU, FDP and SDP foreign policy groups
MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE CDU-CSU COALITION
Bishop Artemije and Father Sava met today with the task group for foreign
affairs of the parliamentary bloc of the CDU-CSU (Christian Democratic
Alliance and the Christian Social Alliance) in the Bundestag building.
Before more than twenty eminent German members of parliament, the representatives
of the SNC presented their views on the situation in Kosovo and Metohija
and also appealed for a stop to the violence against Serbs and the enabling
of refugee returns to their homes. The future of Kosovo and Metohija lies
in the development of a civil and democratic society within the framework
of a democratic Serbia and FRY, not in the creation of an ethnically pure
Albanian state, emphasized the members of the Serb delegation.
MEETING WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE FDP
After this meeting, Episcope Artemije and Father Sava were received by
the parliamentary bloc of the FDP's (The Liberal Free Democratic Party)
representatives for foreign, European, security and developmental policies
in the Bundestag where the Serb representatives again appealed for an urgent
stop to the violence and the systematic discrimination which the Albanians
in Kosovo and Metohija are applying against the Serbs. Bishop Artemije
also spoke about the kidnapped Serbs and destroyed churches after which
one of the representatives very strongly stated that German KFOR did not
go to Kosovo and Metohija in order to enable the carrying out ethnic cleansing
and new repression against Serbs and other non-Albanians under the protection
of the peacekeeping mission.
BUSINESS LUNCH WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE SDP'S FOREIGN POLICY GROUP
After visiting the plenary hall and the Bundestag cupola accompanied by
officials of the German ministry of foreign affairs, the members of the
Serb delegation from Kosovo and Metohija attended a business lunch in the
Hotel Adlon prepared by Dr. Eberhardt Brecht, the chairman of the task
group for southeastern Europe of the parliamentary bloc of the SDP in the
Bundestag. The lunch was also attended by members of the task group and
Bishop Artemije and Father Sava on this occasion also spoke about the problems
in Kosovo and Metohija, emphasizing the need for urgent economic investment
in the development of Serb enclaves and a stop to the violence being carried
out by the Albanians.
The day concluded with a press conference and lecture in the Serbian
Orthodox church in Berlin where Bishop Artemije spoke of the Golgotha of
the Serbian people and their Church in Kosovo and Metohija in front of
a large audience.
GERMAN MINISTRY OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS ISSUES STATEMENT UPON BISHOP ARTEMIJE'S
VISIT
Yesterday the German ministry of foreign affairs issued an official statement
upon the meeting of Minister Fischer and Episcope Artemije. The ministry
confirmed that the sum of 1 million German marks had been approved in order
to offer assistance to the endangered Serb population in Kosovo and Metohija
and expressed serious concern and condemnation because of the continuation
of attacks against Serbs and Roma.
BISHOP ARTEMIJE PLEASED WITH BERLIN VISIT
Following the business portion of the visit to Berlin, Episcope Artemije
stated for the Information Service of the Serb National Council of Kosovo
and Metohija that he was particularly pleased with the visit to Berlin
and the opportunity to present the issue of the suffering of the Serb people
and their Church, especially in the post-war period, at the highest levels.
"The primary accent of our visit is the intention to present the truth
about our suffering and to ask for the help and greater understanding of
the German government. We expect that representatives of our democratic
government will discuss matters of state with their German colleagues in
the near future. We wanted to take advantage of this opportunity, as residents
of Kosovo, to acquaint Minister Fischer and the German parliamentarians
of our first-hand experience with the injustices and crimes which the Kosovo
Albanians have been systematically carrying out against Serbs, Roma, Bosniacs
and other ethnic communities in the presence of the international peacekeeping
mission for more than a year and half," stated Bishop Artemije.
"In only two business days we have had the opportunity to speak with
not only our host, Minister Fischer, who demonstrated a high degree of
understanding and willingness to help, but also with almost sixty German
members of the Bundestag from all major political parties and groups directly
participating in the forming of Germany's foreign policies toward the Balkans
and especially Kosovo," said Bishop Artemije. "This invitation by the German
minister of foreign affairs and the attention shown us during the course
of the visit and during the presentation of our views confirms the clear
position that Germany desires to assume an even more constructive position
with respect to the issue of Kosovo, especially in the light of the most
recent democratic changes in Belgrade. We are especially pleased that not
one of the people with whom we spoke supported the idea of an independent
Kosovo and by the fact that the German government firmly upholds the implementation
of Resolution 1244."
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