We welcome the endorsement made by the Implementation and Monitoring Council (IMC) on Special Protective Zones in Kosovo, of the Italy-facilitated solution to the long-standing issue of the road network near the Serbian Orthodox Monastery of Deçan/Dečane.
The IMC decision was made possible thanks to the facilitation between the parties carried out by the Italian Embassy in Pristina, with the crucial support of the Commander of the NATO Mission KFOR. It is a significant first step towards fostering inter-ethnic relations through the protection of the cultural and religious heritage and the promotion of the economic development of the Municipality of Deçan/Dečane and of the whole region.
We thank the Kosovar Authorities, the representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, the European Union Office in Kosovo and the OSCE Mission in Kosovo for their constructive contribution to the achievement of this crucial first step and we encourage all the parties involved to do their utmost to ensure a full and prompt implementation of the IMC decision.
Italy confirms its full commitment in supporting the normalisation of inter-ethnic relations in Kosovo and in the region.
