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The head of the Office for Kosovo in the Serbian Government, Petar Petkovic, said that Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe would be a "hostile gesture" against Serbia, adding that Belgrade will not stop opposing this "openly, politically and in procedural way".
Through an announcement on March 28, Petkovic said that "there is a desire for haste" in resolving the Kosovo status issue, due to, as he said, "some geostrategic interests that have little to do with either Belgrade or Pristina."
"But let those who decide on this think carefully whether Pristina's eventual membership in the Council of Europe will contribute to peace, stability and cooperation on our continent, or if it would have the opposite effect," said Petkovic.
He added that Serbia calls on its partners in the Council of Europe "to bear in mind that such a result would be a precedent that would destroy the very fundamental principles of this organization" when they decide to include Kosovo.
"It would clearly be a hostile gesture towards Serbia, which until now has been an active and dedicated member of this international organization," the announcement said.
On March 27, the Committee for Politics and Democracy of the Council of Europe approved the report of the rapporteur for Kosovo, Dora Bakoyannis, where it was recommended that the country has fulfilled the conditions to become a full member of the Council of Europe.
The report was approved with 31 votes in favor, four against and one abstention.
Other officials of Serbia, the country that does not recognize Kosovo's independence and opposes the country's membership in international organizations, have criticized the Committee's decision.
On March 22, the president of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić, announced the possibility of Serbia's withdrawal from the Council of Europe if Kosovo were to be accepted into this organization.
Vucic's idea has been supported by the former prime minister, now the speaker of the Serbian Parliament, Ana Bërnabiq.
Kosovo applied in May 2022 for membership in the Council of Europe.
The membership of Pristina has been updated in recent weeks, since, with the request of the Government of Kosovo to the Cadastral Agency for the transfer of 24 hectares of land in the name of the Monastery of Deçan, one of the main conditions for membership has been fulfilled.
The Council of Europe is the leading organization in Europe in the field of human rights.
46 countries are part of it, including 27 member countries of the European Union and all the countries of the region.
The European Court of Human Rights - headquartered in Strasbourg, France - monitors the implementation of the European Convention on Human Rights./REL
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