Dacic: Accusations against Serbian Orthodox Church a part of propaganda war

BELGRADE - Serbian FM Ivica Dacic said on Thursday a statement by British MP Alicia Kearns that the Serbian Orthodox Church was involved in weapons smuggling from central Serbia to Kosovo-Metohija was a part of a propaganda war against Serbia aimed at banishing the Serbian Orthodox Church from Kosovo-Metohija.

"It is a part of the narrative aimed at criminalising the north of Kosovo... For over 10 years, it has been said repeatedly that the north is criminalised, and the Serbian Orthodox Church has now been made a part of that. It is one of the obstacles for them as it is very important for the survival of our people, so they need to identify it with criminals in their accusations," Dacic told Pink TV.

He said the accusations were a part of an all-out attack on Serbia and the Serbs and that Belgrade had immediately requested an explanation from London.

"We have received no written response, but we have been told orally that it is not the official policy of the British government and that Kearns cannot speak on behalf of the government, and that the British government has no concrete evidence to support the statement she has made," Dacic noted.

Regardless of that, Kearns has carried on, likely according to an agenda she has agreed with Kurti, Dacic said.

It would be nothing new if she were an Albanian lobbyist, he said.

"There is no evidence to support her statements - Kfor, too, has said that. We cannot supply the people with basic foods, let alone with weapons," Dacic said.