Posted by George Patsourakos
on 9/2/2009, 2:37 pm
Patriarch Kirill of Moscow and All Russia has expressed support for the Serbian government's attempt to contest the recognition of Kosovo's independence.
"We know that the Serbian government has filed a lawsuit with the UN International Court, contesting Kosovo's independence as illegal. I agree with this position," the Russian Patriarch told Serbian Ambassador to Russia, Jelica Kurjak, in Moscow yesterday.
Patriarch Kirill urged the world community to do all it can to guarantee the rights and security of Kosovo Serbs, and to protect the Orthodox Churches in the region.
He described as "an absolute outrage" the destruction of Orthodox shrines in Kosovo in the early 2000s, adding that the insecure positions of Kosovo believers today "can once again incite violence and loss of life."
Encouraged by the United States and some European countries, Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008.
Kosovo's current political status remains uncertain, since the majority of UN member states have not recognized its independence.
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