Hashim Thaci arrives tomorrow in Strasbourg where in the capacity of Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo he will meet with the Secretary General of the Council of Europe Thorbjorn Jagland, to discuss the admission of Kosovo in this pan-European organization that brings together 47 countries including Serbia. The meeting was organized at the request of Pristina, and Thaci will arrive at the Council of Europe accompanied by the Consul of Kosovo in Strasbourg, Edon Cana. Officially, the meeting will be dedicated to cooperation between Kosovo and the Council of Europe, which still put an asterisk with the word Kosovo to indicate that “any reference to Kosovo is in accordance with UN SC resolution 1244 without prejudice to the status of Kosovo.”
As it looks like, the star will soon be abolished because the final preparations for the admission of Kosovo into the Council of Europe are on-going. According to some findings, the admission is especially encouraged by the United Kingdom.
Kosovo as an independent state was recognized by 34 out of the 47 member states of the Council of Europe, which means that Pristina theoretically has a two-thirds majority required for admission. According to the rules of the Council of Europe the decision on admission is on Committee of Ministers which is made up of foreign ministers of the 47 member states. The decision is taken on the proposal of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which hold the sessions every third month in Strasbourg.
In late 2012, Kosovo opened a consulate in Strasbourg, whose official job is to handle consular affairs in France. However, Vesti claims that the office’s unofficial mission is to prepare the admission of Kosovo into the Council of Europe. Earlier this year, Kosovo opened negotiations for a Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU, at the same time that Serbia opened negotiations on EU accession. The EU has now established a new diplomatic model for Pristina and Belgrade, in order to encourage them to cooperate instead of blocking each other.
This means that Serbia cannot move forward in talks with the EU if Pristina at the same time is not making progress in negotiations on a Stabilisation and Association Agreement, and – vice versa. Serbia and Kosovo will be integrated into the EU in a separate process and as separate states.
Passive observer
For now, no one requests from Serbia to recognize the independence of Kosovo. The “only” thing requested from Serbia is not to interfere with the functioning of Kosovo as an independent state. Reaction of Serbia in regards to entry of Kosovo in Olympic Committee and preparations for entry into Council of Europe show that Belgrade has accepted this diplomatic model.
