Italian Ambassador: Without essential progress in forming ZSO, it's not time for Kosovo to join CoE

Photo: Wikipedia/User:Kj1595

Italian Ambassador to Serbia Luca Gori assessed last night that the time has not yet come for the membership of so-called of Kosovo in the Council of Europe (CoE) and stressed that substantial progress in the formation of the ZSO is necessary for such a thing.

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"That is the position that Italy took together with France, Germany and other EU member states and that is what we are trying to achieve in Strasbourg," Gori told Tanjug, regarding a request to postpone the decision of the Council of Europe on Pristina's bid to join the organization, which is opposed by Belgrade.

The ambassador added that Italy's position is very clear and that Rome believes that the Community of Serb Municipalities (ZSO) is a key element for the normalization process between Belgrade and Pristina.

"That is why we are convinced that if there is no substantial progress in relation to this goal, the time is not right to deal with the issue of Kosovo's candidacy for the Council of Europe or to put it on the agenda," said the ambassador.

Asked about the steps Italy is taking to postpone Pristina joining the CoE, Ambassador Gori noted that steps have already been taken in Strasbourg in coordination with other EU member states.

"We are trying to encourage Kosovo authorities to make progress on the issue of the Association (ZSO), but so far we have not seen any progress," said Gori and repeated that Italy's position is that the moment is not yet right for Pristina to join the CoE.

(Telegraf.rs/Tanjug)