Council of Europe discusses Kosovo

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is today discussing the situation in Kosovo, said reports. Pieter Feith spoke about Kosovo at the European Parliament (EP) headquarters in Strasbourg in his capacity as head of the International Civilian Office (ICO) in Pristina. He is also EU's representative in the province. Council of Europe discusses Kosovo The discussion about Kosovo will for Serbia be the most important part of the summer sitting of the assembly. Serbian MP Dragoljub Micunovic will lead the Serbian delegation. MPs Milos Aligrudic of Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), Tomislav Nikolic of Serb Progressive Party (SNS), Zeljko Ivanji of G17 plus, Dragan Todorovic and Natasa Jovanovic of SerbiRadical Party (SRS), Elvira Kovac of Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), Natasa Vuckovic of For a European Serbia (ZES) and Bojan Kostres of League of Social-Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) will also be in the delegation. There will not be any Kosovo Albanian government representatives at the meeting. Rapporteur of the CoE Political Affairs Committee and former Swedish Defense Minister Bjorn von Sydow has prepared a report on Kosovo in which he points out the neutrality of the CoE and insists primarily on standards and rather than status. The Swedish official in his report also stressed poor rule of law in Kosovo, pointing out problems of minority communities and corruption, including in institutions, according to reports. Albanian language media in Pristina write that ahead of the debate, “Sydow said that his report has received very little criticism by the Serbian parliamentarians, which meant that the standards before status approach was correct”. The first day of the session, Speaker of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly Melvut Cavusoglu spoke about Kosovo and announced a possibility to open up a dialogue between the CoE and representatives of the Kosovo assembly, but without violating UN Security Council Resolution 1244. Cavusoglu added that the CoE's new report advocated pragmatism and remained neutral regarding the status of the province. Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence in February 2008, which Serbia rejected as an illegal act of secession. The proclamation has been recognized by 22 of EU's 27 member-states, and the territory has not been able to join the UN. A view of the CoE assembly (FoNet, file) "ICJ opinion opens possibilities" Pieter Feith stated on Tuesday that the expected advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral independence declaration to “open possibilities for a dialogue between Belgrade and Pristina”. According to reports from Strasbourg, addressing the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Feith said that it was not for him to comment on the ICJ's opinion, but added that it would represent a possibility to improve the communication between Belgrade and Pristina. “Belgrade and Pristina should use this opportunity to solve open issues of common interest,” Feith noted and added that the EU should encourage and facilitate this dialogue which, according to him, was “not impossible”. Feith also spoke about local elections in Kosovo, organized by the Kosovo Albanian government in Pristina, “particularly in the newly-established municipality of Partes near Gnjilane, have brought improvements concerning Kosovo Serbs' participation in the political life in general”. “Local elections represent a step forward in setting the basis for a multiethnic society in Kosovo,” this official noted. Reflecting on the northern, predominantly Serb part of Kosovo, which rejects the authority of Pristina, Feith stated that this region was characterized by “difficult living conditions, widespread corruption and bad economic situation”, and added that the “people living in this part of Kosovo deserve a better perspective”. On the matter of Kosovo's EU perspective, Feith backed “further encouragements in the process of accession”, said reports.

Council of Europe discusses Kosovo

The discussion about Kosovo will for Serbia be the most important part of the summer sitting of the assembly.

Serbian MP Dragoljub Mićunović will lead the Serbian delegation. MPs Miloš Aligrudić of Democratic Party of Serbia (DSS), Tomislav Nikolić of Serb Progressive Party (SNS), Željko Ivanji of G17 plus, Dragan Todorović and Nataša Jovanović of SerbiRadical Party (SRS), Elvira Kovač of Alliance of Vojvodina Hungarians (SVM), Nataša Vučković of For a European Serbia (ZES) and Bojan Kostreš of League of Social-Democrats of Vojvodina (LSV) will also be in the delegation.

There will not be any Kosovo Albanian government representatives at the meeting.

Rapporteur of the CoE Political Affairs Committee and former Swedish Defense Minister Bjorn von Sydow has prepared a report on Kosovo in which he points out the neutrality of the CoE and insists primarily on standards and rather than status.

The Swedish official in his report also stressed poor rule of law in Kosovo, pointing out problems of minority communities and corruption, including in institutions, according to reports.

Albanian language media in Priština write that ahead of the debate, “Sydow said that his report has received very little criticism by the Serbian parliamentarians, which meant that the standards before status approach was correct”.

The first day of the session, Speaker of the CoE Parliamentary Assembly Melvut Cavusoglu spoke about Kosovo and announced a possibility to open up a dialogue between the CoE and representatives of the Kosovo assembly, but without violating UN Security Council Resolution 1244.

Cavusoglu added that the CoE's new report advocated pragmatism and remained neutral regarding the status of the province.

Kosovo's ethnic Albanians unilaterally declared independence in February 2008, which Serbia rejected as an illegal act of secession. The proclamation has been recognized by 22 of EU's 27 member-states, and the territory has not been able to join the UN.

"ICJ opinion opens possibilities"

Pieter Feith stated on Tuesday that the expected advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on the legality of Kosovo's unilateral independence declaration to “open possibilities for a dialogue between Belgrade and Priština”.

According to reports from Strasbourg, addressing the European Parliament's Foreign Affairs Committee, Feith said that it was not for him to comment on the ICJ's opinion, but added that it would represent a possibility to improve the communication between Belgrade and Priština.

“Belgrade and Priština should use this opportunity to solve open issues of common interest,” Feith noted and added that the EU should encourage and facilitate this dialogue which, according to him, was “not impossible”.

Feith also spoke about local elections in Kosovo, organized by the Kosovo Albanian government in Priština, “particularly in the newly-established municipality of Parteš near Gnjilane, have brought improvements concerning Kosovo Serbs' participation in the political life in general”.

“Local elections represent a step forward in setting the basis for a multiethnic society in Kosovo,” this official noted.

Reflecting on the northern, predominantly Serb part of Kosovo, which rejects the authority of Priština, Feith stated that this region was characterized by “difficult living conditions, widespread corruption and bad economic situation”, and added that the “people living in this part of Kosovo deserve a better perspective”.

On the matter of Kosovo's EU perspective, Feith backed “further encouragements in the process of accession”, said reports.