Monastery’s Inclusion on Endangered Sites List Irks Kosovo Leaders

A medieval Serbian Orthodox monastery in Kosovo has been included on the list of Europe's most endangered sites, the Europa Nostra organisation announced on Thursday, annoying local politicians who called the decision politically motivated.

The move comes nearly four months after Europa Nostra, which specialises in the protection of cultural heritage, announced that it had shortlisted the 14-century monastery in western Kosovo on the list of endangered sites in Europe.

It noted that it is "the only monument in Europe under such robust international military protection for a continuous period of 20 years", citing the protection supplied by the NATO-led peacekeeping force in Kosovo, KFOR.

"The aim of our 7 Most Endangered List 2021 is to ring the alarm bell about the serious threats which these sites are facing," Guy Clausse, Executive Vice-President of Europa Nostra, said on Thursday.

The Abbot of Decani, Sava Janjic, welcomed Europa Nostra's decision on Friday. "For years Decani … has been on the UNESCO World heritage list [of sites] in danger. Europa Nostra yesterday included our monastery as one of 7 most endangered sites in Europe. Decani monastery has for 21 years been under NATO protection after four armed attacks," Janjic tweeted.

Kosovo's Ministry of Culture on Friday published a letter in which President Vjosa Osmani and Prime Minister Albin Kurti criticised the proposal, calling it politically motivated.

In their joint letter, dated March 18, Kurti and Osmani insisted that Serbian Orthodox Church sites in Kosovo have enjoyed "all constitutional, legal and institutional guarantees that ensure full respect of their rights" under Kosovo's laws and constitution, since the country declared its independence in February...