Parliament of Catalonia officially launched the process of secession from Spain, which according to the Kosovo model should be finished without a referendum, in no later than eighteen months. A total of 72 MPs from ideologically different parties, united by a common goal to achieve the independence of the Spanish province, voted for a resolution that envisages the establishment of an independent republic of Catalonia, until 2017. Against were 63 MPs, but based on the previously adopted laws such decision requires a simple majority.

The refusal of the General Assembly of UNESCO to accept Kosovo membership confirmed the commitment of that organization to the principles of international law stipulated by the UN SC Resolution 1244.

Kosovo, which is still controlled by the UN, cannot be considered a legal state and therefore cannot aspire to membership in international institutions, and consequently to UNESCO, was said in a statement of the ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia.

After the rejection of Kosovo's admission to UNESCO, Abbot of Visoki Decani Sava Janjic said that it is not the time for emotions, but for a dialogue establishment. As he said, now is the time for serious work on a possible dialogue adding that those people who refuse dialogue don’t have good intentions. "If you ask me who won I will give you a clear answer - the chance for a fair dialogue and confidence-building won, not political pressure," said Janjic on Twitter.

UNESCO did not approve at today’s General Conference voting Kosovo’s membership in the organization. A part of Latin American states and many states with Muslim majority, voted against Kosovo’s membership at UNESCO. The United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Jordan, Kuwait, Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Indonesia, Syria and Libya are the countries with Muslim majority which voted against Kosovo’s membership. Kosovo did not manage to become UNESCO member for three votes.

Kosovo’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Petrit Selimi, said today that Arab countries voted in favor of Kosovo’s membership of the UNESCO. Selimi said he needs to make it clear to the public that the Arab word “nam” means “yes” and that someone could have misinterpreted as “no”. “Saudi Arabia and countries of the Arabian Peninsula have supported Kosovo during the vote,” he added.

UNESCO did not approve at today’s General Conference voting Kosovo’s membership in the organization. Kosovo’s application received 92 out of the required 95 votes while 50 countries opposed the motion. Kosovo’s Foreign Minister Hashim Thaci wrote on his Facebook account that despite the vote result, the vast majority of countries did vote in favour of Kosovo’s membership. “Kosovo’s path is unstoppable and we will apply and gain membership in other organisations as well, including UNESCO,” said Thaci.

The Government of the Republic of Kosovo issued a press release on Saturday greeting “the incident-less accomplishment of Serbian pilgrims’ visits at the church in Gjakova, as well as in churches, monasteries and cemeteries in several other towns in Kosovo”.

Prime Minister of Republic of Kosovo, Isa Mustafa, during his official visit to Lithuania, was hosted in a meeting today by the Prime Minister of Lithuania Algirdas Butkevicius. During the meeting between the two prime ministers, they discussed the strengthening of cooperation and relations between the two countries, as well as Lithuania's support for Kosovo's European integration processes. After the meeting, in a joint press conference, Prime Minister isa Mustafa thanked his counterpart Algirdas Butkevicius for the reception and support that Lithuania provided for Kosovo.

Before the session of the General Conference of UNESCO, in which will be decided about  the membership of Kosovo in this organization, four former heads of UNMIK - Bernard Kouchner, Michael Steiner, Soren Jessen-Petersen and Joachim Ruecker, sent an explicit letter of support for Kosovo's membership in UNESCO. Describing themselves as "independent individuals" who know the situation, they say that UNESCO "cannot afford to refuse giving support to Kosovo and its people."

Attempts to allow Kosovo's membership in UNESCO leads to the politicization of the activities of the organization, said Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, after a meeting with the General Director of UNESCO Irina Bokova. "With all the complexity of international life, it is important to avoid politicization of UNESCO activities. That’s how we see now the situation related to the attempt to allow Kosovo's membership in the organization, violating in such a way the UN Resolution 1244," said Lavrov, as reported by TASS.