Today at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, there will be a discussion and vote on Kosovo’s application to join the Council of Europe. This follows the successful approval of the report on Kosovo by rapporteur Dora Bakoyannis, by the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Council of Europe, which concluded that Kosovo has met the conditions to become a full member of the Council of Europe.

In Strasbourg, the head of Kosovo’s diplomacy, Donika Gërvalla, and the deputy minister, Kreshnik Ahmeti, are present to hold meetings and coordinate actions with partners and allies who are supporting Kosovo on its path to membership in this important international organization.

Also present is a delegation from the Kosovo Assembly, led by the deputy speaker, Saranda Bogujevci. Kosovo applied for membership in the Council of Europe in May 2022. Serbia is against Kosovo’s membership in this organization.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo has stated that Serbia’s propaganda and campaign to obstruct Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe is extremely aggressive and completely contradicts the agreements reached between Kosovo and Serbia last year.

“However, we express our conviction that the member states of the CoE will make their decision not based on this propaganda, but based on the criteria and principles upon which the Council of Europe is built,” the statement said.

Two-thirds of the votes of the Assembly are needed to recommend to the Council of Ministers of the CoE the acceptance of Kosovo. After this vote, the final step for Kosovo’s full membership in the CoE will be the decision of the Council of Ministers on May 16th.

/k.s/