"Borders erased between states - new ones drawn in Serbia"

"Borders erased between states - new ones drawn in Serbia"

"I am not dealing with politics as I am saying this but, as the patriarch of the Serbian Orthodox Church, I am contemplating further consequences of a fragmented Serbia living in a 'united' Europe. This is too serious an issue to be dealt with only by politicians with a limited shelf-life," the patriarch told Vecernje Novosti daily.

The "Kosovo wound" is a decades-old national trauma and a sensitive European issue that needs to be resolved through a broad international dialogue, he said.

"The religious leaders and the intellectual elites of all nations and states need to get involved in this. All disputes in other European countries such as Spain and the United Kingdom need to be discussed as well," Irinej said.

Speaking about EU integrations, the patriarch said that nations moving closer in order to overcome conflicts is good and worth supporting, but that if this is understood as "globalization that eliminates the differences and imposes the violence of the big over the small as the rule," that would represent "a kind of enslavement."

Commenting on the opinions that Serbia will have to "give up its friendship with Russia on its EU path," Irinej said conditioning a new friendship with the abandonment of all previous ones would represent "an insincere offer."

"That is conquering and slavery, not a well-meaning invitation to a new friendship. Unfortunately, our everyday lives abound in blackmails and impositions where the power of the truth is lost," he said.

The head of the SPC also said he "wants to believe in the sincerity of top state officials when they say Kosovo will not be recognized."

He added he "wants to believe their claims about persevering in their position that guards our dignity as a nation and as a state, without defying anyone."

Speaking about NATO's invitation to Montenegro to join, Irinej said this was an internal matter for that country, adding that if authorities there would have allowed citizens to declare themselves "if they had faith in them."

"This way it remains an open issue," he said.