The European Union reiterated on Friday that decisions in the Council of Europe are not directly related to the bloc, as it is another independent European organization, therefore it has called on Kosovo and Serbia to implement the obligations from the Agreement on the normalization of relations, which they agreed upon last year.
Asked by Radio Free Europe (RFE) whether Serbia violated this Agreement when it voted against the rapporteur’s report on Kosovo in the Council of Europe’s Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy this week, EU spokesperson Peter Stano said that the bloc expects the implementation of all points of the Agreement regardless of actions in the Council of Europe.
“Regardless of these actions in the Council of Europe, when it comes to the dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina, the EU continues to expect that all parts of the Agreement from 2023 for the path towards normalization be implemented swiftly, in good faith, and independently of each other, as agreed by the parties with the implementation annex in Ohrid,” said Stano.
Kosovo and Serbia reached the Basic Agreement in February 2023 in Brussels, while on March 18 in Ohrid, they agreed on the Implementation Annex of this agreement.
And, according to Article 4 of the February Agreement, Serbia must not oppose Kosovo’s membership in any international organization.
Asked about this article, Stano did not directly respond, but reiterated that, as stated in the Ohrid Annex for the implementation of the Agreement, all points must be implemented independently of each other.
“The Council of Europe plays a central role in promoting fundamental European values and common standards, including human rights and minority protection. It is up to the member states of the Council of Europe to decide on issues related to this organization, including membership,” he added.
He particularly mentioned the obligation to establish the Association of Serb-majority municipalities in Kosovo.
“This is the most concrete way to ensure the protection of the Serbian community in Kosovo,” he added.
Stano accused both parties of not implementing the Agreement for the normalization of relations.
“It is regrettable that, despite efforts by the EU and the broader international community, progress in implementing obligations from this agreement has been very limited so far, both by Kosovo and by Serbia,” Stano emphasized.
On March 27, the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy of the Council of Europe approved the report of the rapporteur for Kosovo, Dora Bakoyannis, recommending that the state has fulfilled the conditions to become a full member of the Council of Europe.
The report was adopted with 31 votes in favor, four against, and one abstention.
Two deputies from Serbia voted against it, one from Montenegro, and one from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The Parliamentary Assembly is expected to vote on Kosovo’s membership in April, and if it gives the green light, then the final word should be given by the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe in May.
