Bakoyannis in KiE: Kosovo made real progress to join, association, unfortunately, is beyond our coverage.

Greek MP Dora Bakoyannis has reasoned at the Parliamentary Assembly the report compiled by what recommends Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe.

Initially, she said the KiE Parliamentary Assembly will address “a very complicated, colorfully rich issue, which we may never have had before this Ibrahimx1> Assembly.

She initially said that “since the beginning has been very persistent that the report will not take a stand in terms of citizenship, recognition or non-recognition”

Bakoyannis said that “against significant shortcomings in implementation, Kosovo's judicial rules are generally in line with international standards”.

She said the issue of the Association of Serb-run municipalities is “beyond” coverage, while citing Kosovo's moves to implement the Act on the Decani Monastery and on the issue of expropriting Serb property.

Kosovo can be viewed as a functional, parliamentary democracy with strong guarantees for the independence of the judiciary and fundamental human rights justified in the Constitution”, Bakoyannis said. The European Court's jurisdiction to Kosovo's “would contribute significantly to respect for human rights”.

Even taking into account the deteriorating human rights situation, especially in terms of minority rights, I have wanted to make sure that authorities in Pristina are willing to continue with fundamental reforms for improving protection for all Kosovo citizens. I have identified three main issues where immediate action has been necessary. Thus, implementation of the Constitutional Court's Court for the Decani Monastery, legal expropriation of Serb minority property and the establishment of the Serb majority municipalities' association”, the rapporteur said.

Bakoyanis said that despite having been warned that “could not be expected progress on either of these questions”, added that “real corruption has been observed”.

The “here stands before you with pride to inform you that the Parliamentary Assembly has managed to resolve what has been identified as one of the most important cases of violations of rule of law, implementation of the decision by Kosovo's highest court pending since 2016 that would restore the property to the most important Serbian monastery in the region, and that represents great victory for rule of law, property rights of Serbs and minority rights”, she said.

Bakoyannis said that any case of illegal expropriation of land would be subject to control of the European Court of Human Rights”.

Afterwards, it stopped talking about association, such as “one of the most important open issues for minority rights in Kosovo”.

“I see the foundation of association as one-sided, local Kosovo issue affecting only Kosovo citizens. I've made every effort to materialize her. Unfortunately, this case has failed to negotiate”, she said.

Bakoyanis stressed that the last Ohrid agreement between Kosovo and Serbia says that “any negotiation of its establishment should be made in the leadership of the EU-launched dialogue”.

“As a result, the association, unfortunately, is beyond our coverage, even if the Committee of Ministers is strongly encouraged to take this issue into account”, she said.

“I hope today the Parliamentary Assembly will underline the need to bring under the democratic umbrella of the other 2 million Europeans to protect them from wrongdoing and prevent their life risking”, the rapporteur said in the end.