Strasbourg, 16 April 2024
Last night in Strasbourg, France, at the Consulate General of the Republic of Kosovo there, a reception was organized on the occasion of the successful voting in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe with 131 votes in support of Kosovo’s membership in this international organization.
The Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, Albin Kurti, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz, the Ambassador of Kosovo in Strasbourg and the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, Kreshnik Ahmeti thanked the present guests and friends of our country for their continued support and engagement until Kosovo’s full membership in the Council of Europe.
Prime Minister Kurti’s complete speech:
Dear members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and Permanent representatives of member states,
Dear friends,
It is a pleasure to welcome you here tonight, to join us in celebrating this major achievement. Good news for our citizens, for our country and for our continent. And secondly, all this on the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe, the guard house of our shared values of human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.
Today, we have concluded a very important step towards our accession path to the Council of Europe. Not our words, but our actions in the last years have made clear that we firmly believe and adhere to the values that this organization stands for.
We believe and we adhere to human rights, which brings together universality and equality, human dignity and social prosperity.
We believe and we adhere to the rule of law: legislation standing above all of us uniting us all, protecting and defending each one by the rights and liberties of everyone.
We believe and we adhere to democracy: the will of the people, represented by responsible representatives and enacted by accountable officials.
These very values that we believe and adhere to, should become our participatory membership in the Council of Europe, and everyday actuality in our domestic implementation. That is why we have presented before you a list of obligations that we’re committed to realize. We want to become members because we want to contribute and benefit. Contribute as a state, benefit as citizens.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Our adherence to these values has been formally acknowledged today by the driving force of the democracy that the Council of Europe stands for, which is its Parliamentary Assembly. The Report clearly indicated that Kosova has fulfilled the preconditions, and has met all the criteria required to become a member of the Council of Europe. The vote by an overwhelming 82% of the members of PACE was a ringing endorsement of our state’s record on these values.
This is a result of hard work, collaboration, public activities, and countless meetings. Therefore, I would like to thank our Minister of Foreign Affairs and Diaspora, my deputy, Donika Gervalla, her deputy, Kreshnik Ahmeti, our Ambassador in Strasbourg, Lulzim Hiseni, and our parliamentary delegation at PACE, for their unwavering commitment to seeing Kosova as a member of the Council of Europe.
I would also like to extend my gratitude to each and all of you for your support and partnership that you have shown us during this very important and historic process.
I want to thank the members of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe for staying true to the principles of this organization and for voting today in favor of our accession. Special thanks to the leaders of the largest political groups in PACE, in particular Mr.Frank Schwabe, Mr.Davor Stier and Mr. Iulian Bulai.
In our pace towards Council of Europe membership, after PACE one last step remains.
As a Prime Minister, I listen and follow the members of the Parliament at home. I do hope that in May, the Committee of Ministers will do the same.
Thank you very much!
Cheers!
Gëzuar!
Last modified: April 17, 2024