Stano: Pristina has violated arrangements for official visits

BRUSSELS - EU spokesperson Peter Stano on Tuesday criticised Pristina's decision to ban Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and seven bishops of the Serbian Orthodox Church from entering Kosovo-Meothija, noting that the move violated arrangements for official visits and ignored the importance of the Serbian Orthodox Church for "parts of the citizens" of Kosovo-Metohija.

At a Brussels press briefing, Stano said the decision was "going against the fundamental principles of any multiethnic and tolerant democratic society."

In response to a Tanjug query about the ban, he said Patriarch's Porfirije's visit had been announced beforehand in line with relevant agreements and “should have been allowed to go ahead."

"By rejecting his entry, the Kosovo government has not only violated the 2014 arrangements for official visits but also blatantly ignored the importance the Serbian Orthodox Church continues to have for parts of the citizens of Kosovo," he said.

"Yet again, the EU continues and repeats its call for full and unconditional implementation of all dialogue agreements and commitments, including that one on official visits," Stano also said.