Dacic: Serbian Orthodox Church must work on relationship with Vatican

BELGRADE - It must be said clearly whether Kosovo-Metohija is a Serbian national project or not, and the Serbian Orthodox Church must work on its relationship with the Vatican because having the pope on our side is in the interest of Serbia, says FM Ivica Dacic.

"We must all decide whether Kosovo-Metohija is our national project or not - the president or the Ministry of Foreign Affairs cannot be the only ones involved in it," Dacic said on Pink TV on Sunday evening.

He said Pristina had been maintaining informal contacts with the Vatican for some time now.

"I think it is time for the Serbian Orthodox Church, above all, to work on that," Dacic said, noting that former Serbian President Tomislav Nikolic had invited the pope to Serbia but that the invitation had been cancelled at the request of some Serbian Orthodox Church archbishops.

"Does it matter to us whether the Vatican will recognise Kosovo or not..., and will we do something, or remain stuck in trenches that are not practical to us? Having the pope on our side, just like he was when it comes to (infamous Croatian WWII-era Roman Catholic archbishop Alojzij) Stepinac is in our interest," Dacic said, noting that, given the Holy See's influence worldwide, Serbia should not be indifferent to whether the Vatican would recognise the so-called Kosovo or not.

He also said an acquisition of Javelin anti-tank missiles by Pristina would be contrary to UNSCR 1244 and a harmful and counterproductive move not leading to peace.

Dacic said a US decision to approve Pristina's request to purchase the missiles was not a message to Serbia, but a part of a long-term strategic objective of assisting the unilaterally declared independence of the so-called Kosovo.

He said this was something that had begun in the 1990s - and not only after UNSCR 1244 - because "it is known that the 'Kosovo Liberation Army' was receiving weapons from everywhere - including from Germany, the US and Islamic countries."