Road Works Near Visoki Dečani Monastery Spark Church and EU Concerns

New construction on a roughly two‑kilometre stretch of road about two kilometres west of the Visoki Dečani monastery has begun within the legally defined Special Protection Zone of the site. The Eparchy of Ras and Prizren, representing the Serbian Orthodox Church, says neither the monastery nor the eparchy were notified and no consent from the church was obtained, as required by the law governing such zones.

The European Union Office in Pristina confirmed it had been informed of the works and has coordinated with other international organisations, urging all parties to maintain open and constructive dialogue. Kosovo officials, including Dečani mayor Baškim Ramosaj, describe the activity as routine road maintenance, while the deputy ombudsman of Kosovo, Srđan Sentić, has launched an official investigation. Serbia’s Ministry of Culture and the Serbian Office for Kosovo and Metohija have also responded, citing concerns over the protection of the cultural heritage site and the disputed Dečani‑Plav transit road project.