Council of Europe likely to approve Montenegro's accession

Council of Europe likely to approve Montenegro's accession

PACE serves as the advisory body of the Council of Europe, which has all European countries but Montenegro and Belarus as members.

Holding a plenary session in Strasbourg, France, PACE welcomed the progress Montenegro has already made in many fields and the political will expressed by its authorities to pursue reforms. But parliamentarians said this commitment must now be translated into practice.

Montenegro should adopt, within a year, a new constitution which incorporates the seven minimum principles its leaders have already agreed to, including a total ban on the death penalty, the independence of the judiciary and measures to protect minority rights, said the PACE press release.

PACE also set deadlines for Montenegro to sign and ratify a long list of Council of Europe conventions, to bring it into line with Council of Europe standards in many fields, and laid out a further series of legal, financial and practical steps it should take once it becomes a member.

Having agreed to these commitments, Montenegro is, according to the assembly, able and willing to fulfill the basic obligations of membership and should be invited to become the Council of Europe's 47th member state.