K. Albanian bid for memberships

Kosovo Albanians have been lobbying unsuccessfully to join a number of international organizations, writes Belgrade daily Vecernje Novosti. Officials from Pristina are lobbying in Brussels and Washington so that Kosovo could be admitted to as many international organizations as possible, according to the newspaper. K. Albanian bid for memberships Although Kosovo Albanians expected that leading global, European and regional organizations would have their doors wide open in the wake of the ICJ opinion, this did not materialize, the article says. Former Ambassador to the UN Branko Brankovic commented on this by saying that Kosovo will have difficulty joining European institutions, due to a lack of unity within the EU, and said that as long as five EU member-states did not recognize Kosovo, Pristina would be blocked from joining important organizations. Thus far, Kosovo managed to squeeze itself in the World Bank and IMF, the newspaper continues, and there is great pressure for achieving membership in the EBRD, Europol and Interpol, and some international sports organizations. There have also been renewed demands for the International Telecommunication Union, which acts within the UN framework, to assign an international calling code to Kosovo. Without it, authorities in Pristina will not be able to sell their telecommunications company for an appropriate price, says the article. Kosovo cannot join many institutions where Belgrade holds membership, and where new members cannot be admitted without the approval of the existing ones. But the biggest obstacle, writes the daily, is that many organizations take membership in the UN as the principal condition put before new members. "Article 4 of the UN Charter says that any peace-loving state can become a member, but exclusively on a unanimous recommendation of the UN Security Council," explained Tanja Miscevic of the government's Council for EU Integration. Considering that Russia and China are permanent members of the council, and neither recognize Kosovo nor intend to do so, it's highly unlikely that Kosovo could be represented at the UN, says the article. As for the regional free trade agreement, CEFTA, Chamber of Commerce President Milos Bugarin says that our country has mechanisms to prevent Kosovo from taking over the presidency of that organization next year as an independent state. "Representatives of Pristina are taking part in CEFTA's activities but only as UNMIK-Kosovo, and that is how it shall remain. The decision on the chair must be made unanimously by all members," he concluded.

K. Albanian bid for memberships

Although Kosovo Albanians expected that leading global, European and regional organizations would have their doors wide open in the wake of the ICJ opinion, this did not materialize, the article says.

Former Ambassador to the UN Branko Branković commented on this by saying that Kosovo will have difficulty joining European institutions, due to a lack of unity within the EU, and said that as long as five EU member-states did not recognize Kosovo, Priština would be blocked from joining important organizations.

Thus far, Kosovo managed to squeeze itself in the World Bank and IMF, the newspaper continues, and there is great pressure for achieving membership in the EBRD, Europol and Interpol, and some international sports organizations.

There have also been renewed demands for the International Telecommunication Union, which acts within the UN framework, to assign an international calling code to Kosovo. Without it, authorities in Priština will not be able to sell their telecommunications company for an appropriate price, says the article.

Kosovo cannot join many institutions where Belgrade holds membership, and where new members cannot be admitted without the approval of the existing ones.

But the biggest obstacle, writes the daily, is that many organizations take membership in the UN as the principal condition put before new members.

"Article 4 of the UN Charter says that any peace-loving state can become a member, but exclusively on a unanimous recommendation of the UN Security Council," explained Tanja Miščević of the government's Council for EU Integration.

Considering that Russia and China are permanent members of the council, and neither recognize Kosovo nor intend to do so, it's highly unlikely that Kosovo could be represented at the UN, says the article.

As for the regional free trade agreement, CEFTA, Chamber of Commerce President Miloš Bugarin says that our country has mechanisms to prevent Kosovo from taking over the presidency of that organization next year as an independent state.

"Representatives of Priština are taking part in CEFTA's activities but only as UNMIK-Kosovo, and that is how it shall remain. The decision on the chair must be made unanimously by all members," he concluded.