Prishtina, 21 July, 2023
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, together with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, participated today in the first meeting of the Coordinating Group for Kosovo’s Membership in the Council of Europe.
In his speech, Prime Minister Kurti said that as the oldest pan-European organization, the Council of Europe, as well as our country, embody the highest values and standards in the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Membership in the Council of Europe enables access to the European Court of Human Rights and other protective mechanisms of the Council of Europe, said the Prime Minister, while emphasizing that this strengthens even more the protection of the rights of our citizens regardless of ethnicity.
He said that the Republic of Kosovo has met both the legal requirements and the democratic standards to become a member of the Council of Europe. He added that he will cooperate closely with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe throughout the entire assessment process and that he is confident that this inter-institutional Coordinating Group, under the leadership of Deputy Minister Ahmeti, will work with dedication in the function of the fact-gathering visits, as well as in addressing the findings and recommendations from the reporters.
The Deputy Prime Minister, at the same time the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gërvalla Schwarz, emphasized that the first stage of membership in the Council of Europe was very important and it would not be done without the cooperation of four institutions to pass the first stage full of challenges.
“As the most democratic country in the region, as a country that is an example in representing the values that are the basis on which the Council of Europe was created, we think that Kosovo should have joined the Council of Europe yesterday, even many years ago”, said Minister Gërvalla-Schwarz, adding that the more we work together, the faster we will be able to celebrate full membership.
The Coordinating Group will have a very important role in increasing cooperation and internal coordination, as well as in providing a more accurate and coherent overview of the situation in Kosovo regarding human rights, the rule of law and democracy. In this first meeting, political representatives of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Justice, the Ministry of Communities and Return and other high state and institutional officials were present.
The Prime Minister’s complete speech:
Dear Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Mrs. Donika Gërvalla Schwarz,
The honorable Mr. Kreshnik Ahmeti, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora,
The honorable Mr. Blerim Gashani, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Internal Affairs,
The honorable Mr. Blerim Sallahu, Deputy Minister in the Ministry of Justice,
The honorable Mr. Mevlud Sinani, Deputy Minister in the Ministry for Communities and Returns,
Dear senior state officials, representatives of our institutions,
Ladies and gentleman,
Dear members of the coordinating body for the membership of the Republic of Kosovo in the Council of Europe,
Today we open together the first meeting of the Coordinating Group for the membership of the Republic of Kosovo in the Council of Europe. As the oldest pan-European organization, the Council of Europe, as well as our country, embody the highest values and standards in the protection of human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
The Republic of Kosovo, built on the values of the Council of Europe and with the Constitution which includes the most important instruments for the protection of human rights, as well as the rights of minority communities, naturally has a place in this organization.
Membership in the Council of Europe enables access to the European Court of Human Rights and other protection mechanisms of the Council of Europe. This strengthens even more the protection of the rights of our citizens regardless of ethnicity.
The good governance and democratic progress evaluated by numerous international reports, especially in the rule of law, has paved the way for the process of our membership in this organization. So, the Republic of Kosovo has met both the legal requirements and the democratic standards to become a member of the Council of Europe.
After an intensive work, on April 24 of this year, i.e. 2023, the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe decided in favor of the application of the Republic of Kosovo, thus successfully completing the first stage in the membership process.
Now that the process has passed to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, which will give its opinion on Kosovo’s application, we can freely say that the substantial stage of the process begins, which will be accompanied by fact-gathering visits of reporters and preparation of reports.
In this context, the Coordinating Group will have a very important role in increasing cooperation and internal coordination, as well as in providing a more accurate and coherent overview of the situation in Kosovo regarding human rights, the rule of law and democracy.
The Government of the Republic of Kosovo will cooperate closely with the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe throughout the evaluation process and, I am confident that this inter-institutional Coordinating Group, under the leadership of Deputy Minister Ahmeti, will work with dedication in the function of the fact-gathering visits, as well as in addressing the findings and recommendations from the reporters.
Thank you!
Last modified: July 21, 2023