Serbian Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said Sunday in Gracanica that Serbia is ready to send personnel to help guard Serb medieval monasteries and historic monuments in Kosovo-Metohija.

During his one-day visit to Gracanica, Dacic commented the decision of international forces in Kosovo KFOR to hand over security of medieval monasteries to the local police in Serbia's southern province.

Noting that, according to the Resolution 1244 adopted by the UN Security Council in June 1999, Serbia has the right to send its personnel to Kosovo, Dacic said this right has nearly been forgotten since.

Resolution 1244 states that Serbia can send up to 1,000 people to the outstanding religious and historic sites in Kosovo, and Serbia is ready to do so, he said.

This provision has nearly been forgotten, but Serbia is ready to help, Dacic said

Noone wants peace in Kosovo more than Serbia and Kosovo Serbs, he said.

Serbia must also do everything to encourage Serbs to remain in Kosovo.

However, Serbia cannot allow anyone to expell Serbs from the provice through the use of force, he said.

Bishop Teodosije, who received Dacic in Gracanica, reiterated that the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) does not agree with KFOR's decision to hand over security of Serb Orthodox monasteries to the Kosovo police.

SPC is in contact with international representatives and has expressed concern over the KFOR decision, Bishop Teodosije said.

SPC kept telling them that this move is premature and that Serbs would feel unsafe if KFOR withdraws. Some alternate solutions should also be considered, he said.

KFOR command has decided to hand over security of Gracanica and four other Serb monasteries to the Kosovo police.