The message stressed his extreme alarm at the situation in Kosovo. More than 250,000 had fled, and thousands of Serbs had been killed, kidnapped or abused despite the international peacekeeping presence.
Unique historical and cultural monuments and Serbian Orthodox churches were destroyed. Albanian extremists were spreading their unimpeded crimes to neighbouring countries, particularly Macedonia, the Patriarch said.
Patriarch Pavle called on Mr Putin to spare no efforts to put an end to evil and ensure the Balkans see long-awaited peace.