KFOR on Tuesday announced that its decision on handing over the preservation of Serb monasteries to Kosovo police applies only to four Serb monasteries - Gracanica, Budisavci, Gorioc and Zociste, which means that the Monastery of Decani, the Patriarchate of Pec, the Devic Monastery and the Holy Archangels Monastery are excluded.

According to the KFOR statement, the North Atlantic Alliance / the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation on July 9 decided that, given the good security situation in the respective areas and the successful transfer of authority for security of the Gazimestan monument, the Kosovo police should in phases take over the responsibility for ensuring security of the monasteries of Gracanica, Budisavci, Gorioc and Zociste.

According to the statement, representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) and others are continuously making false statements about the transfer of responsibility for protecting churches and monasteries to Kosovo police.

It was pointed out in the statement that the security of the Orthodox church in Prizren is not within the KFOR competence. KFOR said that the Kosovo SPC has been informed throughout the entire decision-making process that KFOR will not take any impulsive steps.

According to the KFOR announcement, the Gracanica Monastery will be the first place where Kosovo police will assume the authority for security, while for the other three monasteries - Budisavci, Gorioc and Zociste, the exact time of authority transfer has not yet been determined.

Kosovo police was given main authority for security of the Gazimestan monument in March 2010, and KFOR recalls that this was a result of the improved security situation in Kosovo.