Attempt to get Kosovo to CoE "through back door" fails

Attempt to get Kosovo to CoE "through back door" fails

Serbia's delegation succeeded in preventing the adoption of a memorandum which would have given several seats to representatives of the Kosovo Assembly in the plenary hall in Strasbourg, as well as the opportunity to participate in discussions, suggest proposals, and sign draft resolutions.

"It's an incredible achievement that we have managed to realize for the sake of our national interests," Djurovic told the Belgrade-based newspaper Politika.

According to her, "unfortunately, it does not end here, because they have obligated Mr. (President of PACE Pedro) Agramunt to in the future organize a meeting between our delegation and that of Pristina in order to find some compromise solution."

"Ahead of us lies further struggle for our national interest. It will be very difficult, there were ten of them from Pristina in Paris, one was effectively in charge of me, so that as soon as I would finish a conversation with someone, he immediately approached them. So far we have managed to win four battles, we will try to win the next, too - one at a time," said Djurovic.

She explained that the Serbian delegation only learned about the draft memorandum being included in the Paris session's agenda about 20 days ago in Nicosia - "since our delegation was not consulted by anyone, although at the beginning of the year, when this initiative appeared, were were categorically against."

The memorandum was drafted by Woyzeck Sawicki, secretary-general of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe. Although the Presidential Committee had unanimously removed it from the agenda, representatives of Albania, Britain and Denmark asked that it be included again, and voted on.

"The discussion lasted an hour and a half, and the result was 15 to 5 in our favor," said Djurovic.