Update, 12:15 p.m.
Reacting to Kosovo’s application for membership at the Council of Europe, Serbian President of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic announced a meeting of the National Security Council on Friday. He claimed that Kosovo’s application has violated a number of agreements and vowed that Serbia will never recognized its neighbor.
Update, 11:54 a.m.
Kosovo submitted its application for a seat at the Council of Europe. The news was confirmed by Sharr Jakupi, the chief of cabinet of foreign minister Donika Gervalla.
🇽🇰 DPM/FM @gervallaschwarz just finished her meetings at the CoE, where she submitted the application in person.
I can confirm: The Government of the Republic of Kosova officially applied for full membership in the Council of Europe. pic.twitter.com/qdMAXjJ38u
— Sharr Jakupi (@sharrjakupi) May 12, 2022
Update, 11:35 a.m.
Kosovo has confirmed it will apply for membership to the European Council, as the government approved a first decision to begin procedures during a meeting on Thursday morning.
Former Kosovo Ambassador to the US, Vlora Çitaku, also confirmed the news on Twitter.
Kosovo 🇽🇰 will apply for membership at the Council of Europe. We meet all the criteria, and now, with #Russia ousted from the organization, our path should be clear. #Kosovo #SupportKosovo
— Vlora Çitaku 🌻 (@vloracitaku) May 12, 2022
Kosovo may apply for Council of Europe membership as soon as this Thursday sources from the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs told Radio Free Europe earlier this morning.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti had already announced Kosovo’s plan to apply for membership to the Council after meeting with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin last week.
Sources told Kosovo news agency RTK that a powerful member of the CoE is ready to extend Kosovo an invitation to the Council, and they expect Kosovo to receive membership swiftly.
On May 4, Knut Abraham, a German MP, tweeted that he had received confirmation from his superiors that Germany is ready to support Kosovo’s membership bid.
On the other hand, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic threatened to deploy a ‘strong and serious’ response should Kosovo move forward with its application.
“The day we find out that they have officially applied for membership in an organization, our response will be much stronger than they think and will not be just a statement to the media. Believe me, we will show you our teeth,” Vucic told local media.
In March, the European Stability Initiative (ESU), a Berlin-based think tank, urged Kosovo to apply for membership in the Council of Europe (CoE) following Russia’s suspension from decision-making in the organization.
The think tank argued that Kosovo has all the vote it needs to join the organization, given that 34 of its 46 members recognize Kosovo’s independence.
