The countries that have not recognized Kosovo are facing major pressures so as to agree to the admission of Kosovo into UNESCO, Serbia's Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said on Tuesday.

On the other hand, several big countries have already voiced their principled opposition to the non-principled stands of the leading western countries that are co-sponsoring Kosovo's UNESCO membership request, Dacic said in a live broadcast on Radio-Television of Serbia (RTS).

Dalibor Jevtic said during a meeting with the rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of Council of Europe Agustin Conde that usurped property in Kosovo hinders the process of return.

In a meeting with Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) rapporteur Augustin Conde, Prime Minister of Kosovo Isa Mustafa spoke of the progress in Kosovo and the commitment of his government to economic development. Mustafa also highlighted Kosovo’s efforts in advancing European Union integration and requested Council of Europe’s assistance in this direction.

Rapporteur of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) Agustin Conde will visit Belgrade in the framework of preparation of the report on the situation in Kosovo and the role of CoE.

Kosovo government will allocate additional funds to engage international consultants that would help Kosovo to join international organizations. At the government meeting held today, it was announced that this project, initiated by the British Council, aims to provide lobbying for the Stabilisation and Association Agreement with the EU and joining the Council of Europe and UNESCO.

Petrit Selimi, Deputy Chief of Kosovo diplomacy

Why Pristina is so sure that Kosovo will “pass” the mechanism of voting in the Executive Council and the General Assembly of UNESCO this autumn? 

Though Kosovo announced submission of the request for accession in the Council in Europe, for Pristina this task is still ‘bite off more than it can chew.’  Even some countries that have recognized Kosovo independence do not believe that Kosovo fulfils the basic criteria of the Rule of Law, in addition to the fact the procedure for accession to the CoE is so complicated that it might last several years.

OSCE Chairman-in-Office and Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic stated on Tuesday that the position of Serbs in Kosovo is unacceptable and is far below the Council of Europe (CoE) standards in terms of respect for human rights.

He underscored that Serbia supports every CoE effort aimed at improvement of CoE standards in Kosovo to the benefit of all people living there which is in keeping with the legally binding international documents, primarily UNSC Resolution 1244.

Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic said today that ahead is a serious fight of Serbia over Kosovo's intentions to join some international organizations, since it is expected of the Kosovo authorities to apply for membership in the Council of Europe and UNESCO.

Dacic said at a session of the Parliamentary Foreign Affairs Committee, when submitting a report on the work of his ministry in 2014, that it was important for Serbia to have an active approach to this problem and to do more to prevent it.