Kosovo once again membership efforts in INTERPOL, U NESTO

The confirmation of the state of Kosovo in the world and membership in international mechanisms is one of the main priorities of the Government of Kosovo, and Kosovo institutions are making all efforts for the country's membership in two international mechanisms -- in INTERPOL and at the United Nations Agency for Culture, Science and Education (UNESCO) -- confirm the country's executive officials.

In the weekly address book “FOKUS”, of Radio Free Europe, officials and former Kosovo Government officials, as well as connoisseur of security issues and developments in the country, say that with membership in these two international mechanisms, in addition to benefits in the concrete areas of these mechanisms, Kosovo would benefit even in increasing its international subjectivity and prestige.

Halil Matoshi, adviser to Kosovo Prime Minister Ramush Haradinaj, tells Radio Free Europe that the executive is currently working on meeting all conditions for membership in these two mechanisms.

“INTERPOL, the Kosovo government is ready and will certainly apply this year. And also for U n NESTO, Kosovo is already ready. Two laws, for cultural heritage and for religions, have been prosecuted in the Kosovo Assembly. The respective dictatorships estimate that Kosovo also has the necessary numbers (of countries that vote) to become part of these two” mechanisms, Matoshi points out.

New strategy for INTERPOL?

Kosovo had applied for membership in the international police mechanism last year, I NTERPOL. She had joined the Interpol Executive Committee's agenda in order to be voted for her admission to the annual General Assembly of this organisation, which was held on 17 September 2017 in Beijing. While Palestine and the Solomon Islands had been admitted to this organisation, Kosovo had withdrawn its candidacy.

Skender Hyseni, former Minister of Internal Affairs and Foreign Affairs of the Government of Kosovo, in the past two governing mandates, speaking of Radio Free Europe, suggests that Kosovo's withdrawal from its candidacy for membership in INTERPOL in the past year has been a false step.

“As far as the procedure itself is concerned, I say with great regret that the current Kosovo government has made a mistake, I am afraid, serious strategic with the withdrawal of the app last year at the INTERPOL General Assembly in Beijing. I just wish the call for withdrawal from the vote was made by receiving assurances from INTERPOL, that with automatism Kosovo will be introduced to the election agenda this year at this year's Assembly, held in the United Arab Emirates, sometime in the fall of”, Hyseni says.

But there is Donika Emine, an analyst at the Kosovar Centre for Security Studies. Speaking to Radio Free Europe, she points out that if the list of countries that have voted for the admission of Palestine and Solomon Islands to INTERPOL is taken into account, it can be seen that most of those states do not recognise Kosovo, and therefore, its accession has been with many questions.

If it were voted there, in that hall, with those states, Kosovo could hardly get votes. Then, the withdrawal has been good, because if it is not voted, it would be debacle in the international arena for Kosovo, in foreign policy. So it's better that this year it's gone more strategicly. But important is to say that if Kosovo gets consent from the Executive Committee (i.e. INTERPOL, it is very important that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs start lobbieing in a very pro-active way so as to secure the audience's votes in Hall”, Emini estimates.

Kosovo Government Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister Besnik Hoti confirms to Radio Free Europe that it has worked intensively to secure Kosovo's membership in INTERPOL.

“Minister of Foreign Affairs (Behgjes) Pacolli has taken all actions, within the competencies, for Kosovo to become an INTERPOL member and with this to close the security framework in the region”, Hoti points out.

On the other hand, Kosovo Government Minister of Internal Affairs Flamur Sefa has declined to speak about preparations for Kosovo's application in INTERPOL, with the reasoning “to protect the” process. However, former minister Hyseni and analyst Amy stress that on the basis of their information, this ministry is working seriously on this candidacy.

The Way to U NESTO, harder

Unlike this year's opportunity for Kosovo to apply for INTERPOL and eventually to accept, Kosovo's eventual opportunity for membership in the U NESTO will be only in 2019, when the General Conference of this organisation is expected.

However, Deputy Prime Minister Hoti says Kosovo is getting ready for this challenge as well.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has finalised the draft framework for strategy for the U application process NESTO 2019. Since U membership process NESTO requires comprehensive institutional mobilization based on the planning of the process and co-ordinated inter-institution actions, the document contains the framework that envisions legislative reforms, the creation of comprehensive co-ordination mechanisms at the national level, as well as strong diplomatic campaigns co-ordinated with our international partners”, Hoti points out.

Former Prime Minister Hyseni expresses the opinion that Kosovo diplomacy does not dare make the same mistake as that of 2015, when, according to him, it has not worked sufficiently with countries that have recognised Kosovo. According to him, there are currently no signals for a continuation of reports and communication channels with countries that have recognised Kosovo, but also those that have not.

“has a sense of action on the diplomatic level, because things are taken as guaranteed. As soon as he met you in a state, we'd like to assume that we have guaranteed the support of that state and that's not what happens at the diplomatic level. Recent signs and signals are not very good and are not very promising”, Hyseni considers.

On November 9, 2015, Kosovo had failed to become part of U NESCO for lack of three votes in favour of its accession. For Kosovo's accession to U NCO needed 95 votes “for”, meaning two-thirds of the overall votes of the countries participating in the U General Conference. NESTO, which was held in Paris. In favour of Kosovo's accession, 92 seats had been voted.