Ministry of Foreign Affairs has contacted the countries that support Kosovo’s accession to UNESCO. Decision of the Executive Committee on the eventual membership will be made after 20 October.
Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic sent a protest letter to the 44 countries, which have supported the Kosovo’s request that the Executive Board of UNESCO discuss accession of Kosovo into this organization, learns Novosti.
The Executive Board of UNESCO to convene from 7 to 22 October, and Kosovo’s request, which was proposed officially by Albania, has reached the draft agenda. During the first day 58 members of the Executive Board will declare themselves during the first day of the session, and if the item is included in the agenda, the vote would, as expected, follow on the 20th of October.
The proposal of Albania have supported 43 members of UNESCO, but it was interesting that not all countries, that sit in the Executive Board, and which recognize Kosovo, backed the initiative. There are 12 of them, Italy, Czech Republic, Montenegro, FYROM, Japan…
It certainly does not mean that on the 7th of October they will not accept this agenda point, but, also, if there is a vote on the membership, some of them might be reticent or even against it.
However, the fact that of the 58 members about 32 have recognized Kosovo, provides little basis for Belgrade’s hope that Pristina will not provide the required simple majority. If they arrive to it, the less predictable will be the battle in the General Conference of UNESCO, where the right to vote has 195 members, to be held from the 3rd to the 18th of November. There will be made the final decision on membership, and required is the support of two thirds of votes, not counting abstention votes.
