Deputy Chairman of the Federation Council of Russia Alexander Torshin said Wednesday that an international fund needs to be set up to preserve Orthodox holy sites in Kosovo.

An international fund needs to be established, which would take on the responsibility of offering assistance in the restoration, maintenance and, if need be, the protection of Orthodox churches and monasteries in the Serb enclaves in Kosovo, Torshin told Russian news agency Interfax.

The Russian senator, who attended the inauguration of Patriarch Irinej at the Patriarchate of Pec on Sunday, said that he discussed the initiative during his visit to Kosovo.

I discussed this with officials from Italy, Germany, the United States and other countries, and separately with representatives of the Russian Orthodox Church, and the idea met with support, Torshin said.