British Ambassador Speaking for Kosovo's Membership in INTERPOL

O'Connell says Kosovo's membership in Interpol would move Kosovo forward to realise its goals in fighting organised crime.

The United Kingdom sees Kosovo's membership in line with Interpol's mandate to boost co-operation, common knowledge and best practices in implementing international law. We consider increasing information exchange would further realise our common goals in fighting organised crime, O'Connell said of the news.

While Deputy Minister of Internal Affairs Isa Xhemajlaj for news.net days ago said everything is ready for Kosovo's membership in Interpol and that during this time they are prepared to secure votes in states that are less reliable, as they have not recognised Kosovo's independence.

“I think that we have found good support, we have managed to encourage some states which may oppose Kosovo's membership in Interpol. It is a procedure for accession to Interpol that even states that abstain are counted as positive. During this time our main focus has been on those states that have not recognised Kosovo as an independent state. They have the right to vote, and if they abstain, it will be a big help on their part because it counts as a positive vote. I hope by November we will make sure that we get the necessary votes for Kosovo's accession to Interpol”, Xhemajlaj had said.

Kosovo's application for membership is included in the draft interim agenda of the 87th INTERPOL General Assembly session, which according to previous reports is held in the United Arab Emirates in November. Members of INTERPOL total 192 states.