Minister for Kosovo-Metohija Goran Bogdanovic stated that his Ministry and the Serbian government submitted a list of officials to KFOR who will be attending Patriarch Irinej’s inauguration on 3 October in the Pec Patriarchate.

Bogdanovic told Beta news agency that it is the task of EULEX and other international missions in the province to make sure that officials, invited by the Serbian Orthodox Church (SPC) to attend the ceremony, arrive safely in the Patriarchate of Pec and that the ceremony takes place peacefully.

It is inappropriate to put the inauguration of Patriarch Irinej in a political context, he pointed out noting that political conditioning does not contribute to understanding and reconciliation between Serbs and Albanians.

The Minister recalled that the SPC is in charge of organising the inauguration, with assistance from the international mission in Kosovo-Metohija.

I hope that this spiritual and religious act of great importance for our church and the Serbian people will pass in the way a spiritual ceremony should, said Bogdanovic.