PACE approves report recommending Kosovo's full membership in Council of Europe

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), approved a report Tuesday recommending that Kosovo be admitted to the council as a full member "without preconditions.”

The report was discussed at the PACE General Assembly. It was accepted with 131 "yes" votes to 29 "no" votes with 11 parliamentarians abstaining.

After Kosovo's application for membership in the council passes the General Assembly’s vote, the final say on its membership in the council will be given by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, which will meet in May.

Speaking at the General Assembly, Kosovo MP Arben Gashi said his country wants to take its place within the international community.

Last month, the Kosovo government implemented a 2016 Constitutional Court ruling confirming that 24 hectares (59 acres) of disputed land belongs to the 14th-century monastery of Visoki Decani, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which will pave the way for the country's membership in the Council of Europe.

Kosovo, which declared its unilateral independence from Serbia in 2008, officially applied for membership in the Council of Europe on May 12, 2022.

On March 27 this year, the PACE Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy approved the report recommending that Kosovo be accepted as a full member of the Council of Europe.