Montenegro announces a vote against Kosovo's admission to the Council of Europe

2024-03-25 12:29:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

Montenegro announces a vote against Kosovo's admission to the Council of

The People's Democratic Party (PDP) in power in Montenegro has supported its MP, Maja Vuki?evi?, as the head of the Montenegrin delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), to vote against Kosovo's admission to this organization.

"Full support has been expressed to the vice-president of the party, Maja Vuki?evi?, head of the Montenegrin delegation in the APE, to vote against the admission of the so-called Kosovo in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe", says the party's statement published on March 24.

The PDP is one of the members of the disbanded pro-Russian and pro-Serb Democratic Front (FD) and constitutes the parliamentary majority in Montenegro, which is led by Prime Minister Millojko Spajic's Europe Now Movement.

This party, led by one of the leaders of the former FD, Millan Knezhevi?, advocates for the withdrawal of the recognition of Kosovo's independence, the exit of Montenegro from NATO and the lifting of sanctions against Russia.

When it came to power late last year, the PDP announced that it would not raise these issues.

In the coalition agreement with Prime Minister Spaji?'s Europe Now Movement, the parties, among other things, agreed that the Government would not take decisions that would call into question the independence of Kosovo, the sanctions against Russia due to the invasion of Ukraine, and the obligations to NATO .

Kosovo was recognized in 2008 by the Government of the Democratic Party of Socialists, Millo Djukanovi?, which in August 2020 lost the elections to the pro-Serbian and pro-Russian FD, the Democrats and the URA movement.

The delegation of Montenegro to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe consists of six members, of which four are members of the Government and two members of the opposition.

The Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe submitted to the Parliamentary Assembly Kosovo's request for membership in this organization in April 2023 and thus officially started the procedures for examining Kosovo's application.

The representative of Montenegro also voted in favor of Kosovo's request. A part of the pro-Serb parties in power reacted strongly to this.

Dissatisfied with the fact that Montenegro voted for Kosovo's admission to the Council of Europe, FD MPs requested a hearing of the then Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dritan Abazovi?.

Montenegro's interest in supporting Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe is in the interest of stability and regional cooperation, Abazovi? said during the session of the International Relations Committee of the Parliament of Montenegro in May 2023.

Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe has been updated in recent weeks, after 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.

This issue may be decisive for Kosovo's request for membership in the Council of Europe, during the Parliamentary Assembly of that institution, which will be held in April.

If Kosovo receives the green light in the Parliamentary Assembly, then the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe must give the final word - which the Kosovo Government expects to happen in May.

In May 2022, Kosovo applied for membership in the Council of Europe./REL