The international conference entitled "Kosovo and Metohija in the flows of civilization", with some 300 scientists participating, has commenced in Kosovska Mitrovica.

Among the participants of the conference, which will last until Sunday, there are 90 scholars from Russia, Europe and the USA. According to Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy Dragi Malikovic, the meeting is an opportunity to answer the question of what life in Kosovo should be like, but primarily for the Serbian community, whose existence is seriously threatened.

The gathering was blessed by Ras-Prizren Bishop Artemije who pointed out that throughout history Kosovo suffered from many of the enemy and conqueror, but never as in the past 10 years during the rule of international UN protectorate, In his introductory address, Serbian academician Mihajlo Markovic said that any attempt of secession is absolutely unacceptable, illegal and punishable. Readiness of Serbs to fight for the oldest part of their homeland will primarily determine the fate of Kosovo, said Markovic.

The fate of common Europe will also be decided in this region, Academician Prof. Gabriella Shubert of the Friedrich Schiller University in Vienna said at the international conference "Kosovo and Metohija in Civilization Trends," which opened in Kosovska Mitrovica today.

Prof. Shubert, a foreign member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts, evaluated that the attachment of the Serbs to Kosovo is not understood abroad, which is why, perhaps, there is a negative approach to the Kosovo issue.

Academician Prof. Mihailo Markovic evaluated that dramatization and internationalization of the armed conflict in Kosovo are no longer in America's interest under the present conditions, and that is why a period of maintaining the status quo in Kosovo and Metohija is ahead, no matter how much dissatisfied the Albanians, Serbs, EU and NATO might be.

Addressing the participants, Bishop of Raska and Prizren Artemije evaluated that Kosovo had never sustained more damages than in the past 10 years under the U.N. protectorate, recalling the destroyed and damaged spiritual and cultural heritage of the Serb people.