THIS IS HOW PATRIARCH IRINEJ SPEAKS ABOUT KOSOVO: Imperial Prizren and the Peja Patriarchate will never be out of Serbia, the situation is changing in our favor

He was a professor at the Prizren seminary in 1959-1968. year, and rector from 1971-1974. years. He always emphasized that the Serbian people could not accept that Kosovo was outside of Serbia.

– Yes, Imperial Prizren, where Milutin and Dušan reigned. That the Patriarchate of Peja, which is the official residence of the Serbian patriarch and the Serbian church, is outside of Serbia, cannot enter our heads – said the head of the Serbian Orthodox Church. He also spoke about the life of our people in Kosovo and stressed that it is not a life without freedom and without hope for the future. – But they are fighting and want to stay, although others are doing their best to have less there – said Irinej. He noted that the Albanians did not conquer Kosovo in the war, but “thanks to the friends of the world” who allowed them to settle in Kosovo.

– The world helped them a lot in that. When I first came to Prizren, there were 16,000 Serbs there, now there are 20 souls. This is the case in Pristina, Peja and Gjakova – said the pastor of the Serbian church. Irinej assessed that Albanian politicians, due to the open support of the powerful Western countries, “are not even willing to talk, much less negotiate” with the Serbian side. – I have always said that the first condition for solving Kosovo’s problems should be the safe return of 250,000 Serbs, expelled from 1999 to 2004.

The international community should help first on that issue, and only then organize talks on other issues – he said. Patriarch Irinej also noted that the Serbian state leadership is seriously and courageously fighting the problems in Kosovo, noting that the situation in the world on that issue is slowly changing.

– There is no great step, but it is still present. We have the impression that they are changing for the benefit of our people. It remains to be seen what fruits it will bring – said Patriarch Irinej. He pointed out that he did not doubt the great effort made by the state leadership to resist this, as he stated, great temptation and that certain countries change their opinion and attitudes about Kosovo and Metohija.

– I believe that their efforts will bear fruit, just as I believe that many countries that have proven to be difficult enemies will see the situation and take a different position – said Patriarch Irinej.