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The Government of the Republic of Serbia

In the service of citizens

International community's multiethnic Kosovo project practically non-existent

Brezovica, 21 September 2006

President of the Coordinating Centre for Kosovo-Metohija Sanda Raskovic-Ivic stated yesterday that during her visit to Prizren she saw for herself that there is no actual return of the displaced and that the reconstruction of destroyed church facilities is going at a snail's pace.

In a statement to the Beta news agency, Raskovic-Ivic, who is on a four-day visit to Kosovo-Metohija, said that she saw that "the multiethnic Kosovo project prescribed by the international community has completely fallen through and is practically non-existent".

She said that 16 Serbs have returned to Prizren, whereas around 20 of them never left the town, which comes down to not more than 30 people, and not several thousands as UNMIK officials claim.

Raskovic-Ivic talked to the few Serbs in Prizren and learned from them that they live in a horrible isolation and are exposed to all kinds of harassment, both physical and psychological.

Also, Raskovic-Ivic stressed that she saw for herself that the reconstruction of church and cultural heritage is slow-moving. Only one church is being properly reconstructed. Works on the Bogorodica Ljeviska church have begun, but are not visible, whereas the Serbian quarter in Prizren is still razed to the ground, burned and in total disrepair, she added.

Raskovic-Ivic said that as part of her stay in Kosovo, she will also visit the collective centre on Mt Brezovica. She pointed to the issue of illegitimate construction of facilities on Brezovica that continues despite the fact that the area has been declared a national park.

She announced that she will visit the Sar district today, where she is to visit several villages and talk to returnees. A meeting with the brethren of the monastery of Saint Archangels has also been scheduled and on Friday Raskovic-Ivic will visit several villages in Metohija.