German MP: Kosovo's EC decision should not be handed over to Belgrade

Deutsche Welle. Mr. Abraham, Kosovo wants to join the Council of Europe. The EC Foreign Ministers Committee will be meeting on Friday (20.05.2022). Will Kosovo enter the agenda?

Knut Abraham: The request was made a week before the ministerial meeting, May 20th in Turin. And the question that matters now is whether the Italian government, which has the next chairmanship, will manage to put this point on the agenda for Friday's meeting. That would be the perfect occasion. Time is certainly too short. But candidacy was positive. If the application does not enter the agenda, the application will remain. Kosovo then must strongly promote partners in the coming months so that after a year, this candidacy will be treated successfully.

In a previous message to social media, you have asked Germany to support Kosovo's request in a pro-active manner. What more can Germany do?

Fortunately, the German government has clearly indicated that it supports Kosovo's candidacy for membership in the Council of Europe. And that's really good news. This is a logical continuation of the policy that Angela Merkel has led. And this policy must now translate into concrete steps. At the moment, that means, for example, that the federal government is working with Italian partners to put this topic on the agenda. And beyond that, and I am also sure that it will happen, the federal government will and should support the application and consistently promote Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe.

Germany has been in doubt so far, says an analysis of the European Stability Initiative Association, published early in the week. Is it true?

Germany has clearly expressed its pro candidacy stance. But I hear it's important for the federal government to continue the normalisation dialogue. But one cannot be a condition for the other. So, I don't think the emphasis on normalising dialogue means Germany can be skeptical of candidacy. I think the federal government wants to make it clear that it expects both sides to make progress in the normalisation dialogue. I believe it was a good idea to bring both sides here to Berlin, at Tegel, at a table. I heard the meeting didn't meet expectations. Still, it was good to develop. I believe dialogue should continue, but should not be a condition for the Kosovo membership issue of the Council of Europe. This decision cannot be left to Belgrade. .

Similar is the approach to visa liberalisation. There are rumours that even this process is becoming a hostage to dialogue.

Visa liberalisation must happen. This is my absolute hope and expectation. Kosovo has long fulfilled the criteria. A political initiative is already needed to finally achieve this important goal. I believe there's a chance, especially after the elections in France. Here I am calling on the German and French government to finally settle this issue. Kosovo has done its homework.

Knut Abraham is a member of the German delegation at the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Since 2021 he has been the deputy of the CDU party in Bundestag. Earlier he worked as a diplomat at the ministry of foreign affairs and at the office of former cancellara Angela Merkel.