NATO peacekeepers and US senator discussed security of Serbian shrines in Kosovo
The commander of the KFOR mission and a US senator discussed the security of Orthodox shrines and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija during their meeting.
The security of Serbian shrines in Kosovo and Metohija became one of the central topics at the meeting between the commander of the NATO-led international peacekeeping mission – KFOR (Kosovo Force) – and an American senator. This was reported by the Serbian editorial office of the SPJ.
Senator and member of the US Senate Armed Services Committee Joni Ernst visited the KFOR headquarters at Camp Film City in Pristina, where she was received by the commander of the NATO mission in Kosovo and Metohija, Major General Özkan Ulutas. During the meeting, he briefed the senator on the current security situation in the region, noting that the mission continues to ensure a safe and secure environment for all residents of the territory.
The meeting took place against the backdrop of discussions about KFOR's role in protecting the Visoki Dečani Monastery, where the gradual integration of the Kosovo Police into the security structure is expected. This issue is of particular importance for the protection of Serbian Orthodox shrines and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija.
General Ulutas thanked the United States for its long-standing contribution to the mission, which operates under NATO leadership on the basis of UN Security Council Resolution 1244 of 1999. Under its mandate, KFOR cooperates with the Kosovo Police and the European Union rule of law mission – EULEX.
The meeting with the KFOR commander took place after Senator Ernst visited Gračanica Monastery, where she met with Metropolitan Teodosije of Raška and Prizren. The parties discussed the situation of the Serbian Orthodox Church and the Serbian people in Kosovo and Metohija, as well as the security challenges faced by the faithful and the clergy.
As the SPJ previously reported, two US military personnel were baptized in the Serbian Orthodox Church in Kosovo.
