Wednesday, April 12, 2006

UNMIK SAYS NO EXTRATERRITORIAL ENTITY WILL BE CREATED IN DECAN

PRISHTINA, April 12 (ATA) - By B. Jashari/ - UNMIK spokesperson Neeraj Singhsaid on Wednesday that no extraterritorial entity would be created in the Special Zoning Area of Decan Canyon, but there would be guaranteed protection of a land widely known to be within the borders of Kosova.

"It is wrong to say that the creation of SZA is affecting private ownership rights," he added. "It only requires that use of the land be made in accordance with Kosovo laws and UNESCO and other international standards on preservation of cultural and natural heritage," the UNMIK spokesman clarified.

After a meeting with UNMIK chief Soren Jessen-Petersen on Monday, the minister of Decan Monastery, Father Sava Janjic, said that the Serbian Orthodox Church did not protect the notion of extraterritoriality as future status. "Despite the solution that will be given to the issue of Kosova, all monasteries within Kosova will remain there. We ask an institutional protection guaranteed by international community, but it is not about extraterritoriality. It is of high importance to make this clear to public," Father Sava said.

The statement of spokesperson Singh was related to 800 hectares of land around Decan monastery that is considered a special zoning area by a UNMIK decision. 200 hectares of this land are public property and 600 hectares belong to Albanian owners.

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