Kosovo passes first phase of membership in Council of Europe

The Council of Europe Ministerial Committee, which represents 46 member states, at an extraordinary meeting, with more than 2/3 of the votes just as it made the decision to submit the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to the Republic of Kosovo for membership.

With this decision Kosovo has passed its first membership stage on the Council of Europe.

The Council of Europe, the oldest European organisation to deal with the development of democracy and human rights, has specific procedures for accepting new members. These procedures are passed through the Council of Ministers and the Parliamentary Assembly, attended by MPs from member states parliaments.

Kosovo has applied for membership in the Council of Europe on 12 May 2022.