Vatican careful after Sejdiu audience

The president of the interim Kosovo institutions, Fatmir Sejdiu, met Pope Benedict XVI at the Vatican today. "The audience of the highest institutional authority of the Autonomous Province of the Republic of Serbia, under UN administration, based on Security Council Resolution 1244, does not represent a change in the position of the Holy See on the final legal status of Kosovo," the Vatican press service said in a carefully worded statement after the meeting. Vatican careful after Sejdiu audience As for a possible unilateral declaration of the province's independence by its ethnic Albanian leadership, the Vatican will, the statement added, "monitor the developments in the field with particular care," taking into account "the international community's direction" when it makes its appraisal of the situation. The statement further says that the decision by Pope Benedict XVI to grant Sejdiu a meeting came "primarily in order to express closeness with its people who live in this region," explaining that some 65,000 Catholics inhabit the southern Serbian province. Kosovo's population is close to two million. "The Holy See misses no opportunity to call all on all parties to engage in reconciliation, justice and peace. In this instance, it stresses what the Holy Father said in his speech to the diplomatic corps on January 7, 2008, when he expressed his wish to see security and respect of rights guaranteed for all who live in the province, to, in this way, at last remove the danger of violent conflict and strengthen the European stability," the statement concluded. Earlier, news agencies reported that Sejdiu was to meet Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone prior to his audience with the Pope. Although Sejdiu's cabinet did not give any details of the agenda for the meeting today, Beta news agency said "reliable sources cited Kosovo's status as the main topic." According to the same sources, Sejdiu was to ask the head of the Roman Catholic Church for support and recognition of the southern province's unilateral declaration of independence.

Vatican careful after Sejdiu audience

As for a possible unilateral declaration of the province's independence by its ethnic Albanian leadership, the Vatican will, the statement added, "monitor the developments in the field with particular care," taking into account "the international community's direction" when it makes its appraisal of the situation.

The statement further says that the decision by Pope Benedict XVI to grant Sejdiu a meeting came "primarily in order to express closeness with its people who live in this region," explaining that some 65,000 Catholics inhabit the southern Serbian province. Kosovo's population is close to two million.

"The Holy See misses no opportunity to call all on all parties to engage in reconciliation, justice and peace. In this instance, it stresses what the Holy Father said in his speech to the diplomatic corps on January 7, 2008, when he expressed his wish to see security and respect of rights guaranteed for all who live in the province, to, in this way, at last remove the danger of violent conflict and strengthen the European stability," the statement concluded.

Earlier, news agencies reported that Sejdiu was to meet Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone prior to his audience with the Pope.

Although Sejdiu's cabinet did not give any details of the agenda for the meeting today, Beta news agency said "reliable sources cited Kosovo's status as the main topic."

According to the same sources, Sejdiu was to ask the head of the Roman Catholic Church for support and recognition of the southern province's unilateral declaration of independence.