The establishment of Association condition for Kosovo's membership in KiE analysts consider it unfair

Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe is linked to the progress Kosovo will have in the dialogue with Serbia, but which can also be conditioned with the formation of the Serb majority municipality Association, analysts have praised.

They said it would be wrong if the KE member states condition Kosovo's entry into this Council with the formation of association.

Political analyst Gazmir Raci has said that Kosovo's membership in the EC is linked to the progress there will be in dialogue with Serbia.

He said it would be wrong for Kosovo now to be conditioned, as according to him, Serbia, with the admission of the Franco-German plan and the annex of Ohrid, has given international pledges that it will not prevent Kosovo from any international organisation.

Kosovo's “Membership in the Council of Europe I think it has a complete connection with the progress we will have in the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue because it entered into the framework of regional relations and political relations between Kosovo and Serbia. But in my opinion it would be wrong if the EC member states condition the entry or not of Kosovo, because Serbia already accepts the Franco-German plan and the Ohrid annex has given international pledges that it will not prevent Kosovo from either an international organisation”, he said.

Raci has stressed that Kosovo's membership in the KiE in this phase is very important.

The “in this phase that Kosovo is found is very important to Kosovo's entry into the KiE because it shows that Kosovo is ready to contribute to this international organisation as well. And of course if it goes in there then it proves that Kosovo has met the basic criteria that can become an EC member”, he said.

Political analyst Arbnor Sadiku, meanwhile, has said that seeing the enlargement process taking place in other Balkan countries as well as Kosovo's membership in the KiE can be conditioned with the implementation of the Ohrid Agreement and the establishment of association.

“Even for Kosovo depending on the political context, the EU besides those basic criteria could add to any particular demand, in this case for Kosovo will certainly be implementation of the Ohrid Agreement and the establishment of the Association of Serb Major Communities. Naturally, the odds could be great that if Kosovo does not create it itself then it is obliged to establish this association as a condition for membership or for opening EU membership negotiations”, he said.

Kosovo in May of last year has applied for membership in the Council of Europe. Application at Council of Europe headquarters in Strasbourg has made Kosovo Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspore Donika Grovalla. The Council of Europe is an international human rights organisation, democracy and rule of law in Europe, headquartered in Strasbourg, France. The Council advocates freedom of expression and media, equality and minorities in member states. / EO