Statement on the 7th anniversary of the Decani Constitutional Court decision, May 20, 2023
The Heads of Mission of France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, the United States and the European Union repeat our call for the Government of Kosovo to implement in full and with urgency the lawful registration of the Decani Monastery’s land. In May 2016, the Kosovo Constitutional Court confirmed the Decani Monastery’s ownership of several hectares of land. Despite this legal decision and subsequent petitions, seven years later the Court’s decision has still not been implemented.
We are united in support of Kosovo’s democratic and European future. Enforcing the rule of law and respecting judicial independence are obligations for all democratically elected governments and necessary preconditions for Kosovo’s integration into European and Euro-Atlantic institutions, including further progress on Kosovo’s application to join the Council of Europe. Further delay is only an obstacle to that progress.