Lancaster: Allies consult to advance Kosovo's NATO status

Lord Mark Lancaster has requested consensus of NATO allies for enlargement, saying they must consult to advance Kosovo's status in this organisation.

The “Aleates must use consultative frames to advance the issue regarding Kosovo's status. Those who do not recognise Kosovo's status may consider Kosovo's participation in NATO and the Partnership for Peace”, he said during the alliance's Parliamentary Assembly as he presented the draft report where Kosovo is mentioned.

During the Assembly, which is being held in Sofia, the Kosovo Assembly aims to advance its status from observer to associate member of the organisation.

Kosovo authorities announced in March that the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Permanent Commission has advanced the status of the Kosovo Assembly in this body.

Presenting the draft report, Lancaster also cited dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia. He said NATO allies, but also the European Union as mediators, should continue to pressure Kosovo and Serbia to unblock the dialogue process and achieve normalisation of reports.

He also spoke of the influence of China and Russia in the Western Balkans region. In this context, he cited increasing the sale of Russian and Chinese weapons in Serbia and in the entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Republika Srpska.

Russia's influence in the Western Balkans is to destabilise this part of the world and prevent transatlantic integrations, as well as to build energy dependence on the sector, testing specific leaders. Russia has backed the partition agenda, offering weapons to Republika Srpska and Serbia”, Lancaster said.

The NATO Parliamentary Assembly, where Kosovo aims to advance its status, is institutionally separate from NATO, but serves as an important link between NATO and the parliaments of member states.

It consists of 281 delegates from all 32 NATO member states.

In addition, delegates from 9 associate countries, four associate Mediterranean countries, and eight parliamentary monitoring delegations are participating in its activities.

Association members can submit resolutions and changes to resolutions. Also, they can serve as special rapporteurs associated with the committees to present their prospects in NATO-The Parliamentary Assembly reports.

However, they have no right to vote for reports, resolutions or Assembly leadership, nor do they contribute to its budget.

Currently, associate members are nine between them and Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

The Kosovo Assembly, for years, is a two-seat monitoring delegation. With the level of representation established, the Kosovo participating delegation would also expand.

Otherwise, since the Russian invasion of Ukraine began in February 2022, Kosovo authorities have called for accelerated NATO membership.

The state requires that initially become part of the Partnership for Peace and then be fully joined in the alliance.

NATO forces have been present in Kosovo since June 1999, after the end of the war and the withdrawal of Serbian forces. / REL