The Serbian government has approved an additional €6.5 million in funding to complete the remaining finishing works at the Church of St. Sava in Belgrade, one of the world's largest Orthodox churches and the principal cathedral of the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The financing agreement was signed on June 28, Serbia's national holiday of Vidovdan, by Serbian Patriarch Porfirije and Prime Minister Đuro Macut, in the presence of President Aleksandar Vučić, according to the Serbian Orthodox Church.

The new funding will be used to complete the church's remaining mosaic decorations, as well as final architectural finishing, furnishing, and equipment throughout the temple complex.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, President Vučić said the current generation was bringing to completion a project that had taken decades to realize. He noted that the Serbian state has invested €88 million in the project over the past 12 years. With the latest allocation, total government support will reach €94.5 million.

Vučić described the investment as an important contribution to preserving Serbia's spiritual and cultural heritage. He also emphasized the historical role of the Serbian Orthodox Church in shaping the country's national identity.

Patriarch Porfirije thanked the government for its continued support, describing the Church of St. Sava as "a house of prayer and a place where people meet God and one another." He said safeguarding the nation's most significant spiritual and cultural landmarks should remain a shared national priority regardless of political circumstances.

The Church of St. Sava stands on Vračar Hill in Belgrade, the site where the relics of Saint Sava—the first Archbishop of Serbia and founder of the Serbian Orthodox Church—were burned in 1594 on the orders of Ottoman Grand Vizier Sinan Pasha.

Plans to build the church were first proposed in the late 19th century, but construction did not begin until 1935. The project was interrupted by the Second World War and a lengthy postwar suspension, delaying completion for decades. The main structural works were finished in 2004, while most of the interior decoration was completed by 2021.

The Church of St. Sava is regarded as the largest Orthodox church in the Balkans and one of the largest in the world. It is particularly renowned for its monumental mosaic decoration covering approximately 15,000 square meters, created by Russian and Serbian artists. The centerpiece of the interior is the dome mosaic depicting the Ascension of Christ, completed under the direction of Russian People's Artist Nikolai Mukhin.