"Council of Europe would jeopardize its own credibility by making so-called Kosovo full member"

Photo: Tanjug/Tanja Valic

A year after the signing of the Washington Agreement, the moratorium according to which Pristina undertook not to request membership in international organizations has expired.

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There are hints that Pristina is planning to join the Council of Europe, but that would be a clear violation of international law.

"All those international communities, the Council of Europe, NATO,  the OSCE, not to mention some others, have clear provisions in their statutes that say their members can only be countries that are full members of the UN, which is not the case with Kosovo," says career diplomat Zoran Milivojevic.

Kosovo does not respect even basic human rights, so the Council of Europe would risk a lot by admitting it into full membership. Above all, this organization would risk its own credibility, Novosti is reporting.

"It's possible to establish cooperation that would not be formal and would not include membership, for example, at the level of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe," Milivojevic explained.

Photo: Tanjug/AP

The Republic of Serbia respects its part of the Washington Agreement, so it will not be the first to take any steps. But if Pristina still goes ahead with requests for membership in one of the international organizations, it will receive an adequate response.

"The Republic of Serbia will also react by encouraging some of our friendly countries, which are already inclined to reconsider their previously made decision to recognize Kosovo, to reconsider it," said State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Nemanja Starovic.

Starovic offered assurances that there is a significant number of countries that are ready to do that. On the other hand, the messages from Washington and Brussels are positive, but they must be accompanied by appropriate actions.

"We therefore hope that international sponsors of the provisional institutions of self-government in Pristina will have enough awareness and understand that it is the Pristina side that is blocking the continuation of the dialogue, and exert adequate pressure on the Pristina side," Starovic added.

The Kosovo Assembly has formally rejected a resolution on the implementation of the Washington Agreement. Serbia is ready for compromises, but will not idly sit by and observe Pristina's attempts to join international organizations.

(Telegraf.rs)