Antonijevic: Membership in the Council of Europe also means respect for human rights

Lawyer and human rights expert, Milan Antonijevic, points out that in the current situation, i.e. without the Serbs in institutions and guaranteed autonomy, i.e. Community of Serb-majority Municipalities with broad competencies cannot expect any greater progress in Kosovo towards membership in the Council of Europe, the "Vreme" portal reports.

Antonijevic also states that the request for full membership of Kosovo in the Council of Europe was submitted immediately after the exclusion of Russia from that organization and reminds that a country that accepts the principles of the rule of law, respect for human rights, and basic freedoms, and one that sincerely cooperates in the realization of the Council's goals can become a member.

"Further rules provide that membership is limited to European states that are willing and able to fulfill the criteria set out in the previous article on their entire territory. First of all, membership in the Council of Europe implies a certain level of respect for human and minority rights, including the autonomy of the Serbian community, which Kosovo guaranteed by signing the Brussels Agreement," Antonijevic said.

He also indicates that since April of this year, when in Strasbourg during the extraordinary session of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe at the ambassadorial level a decision was made to accept Kosovo's application for membership in that international organization, the question arises as to what criteria Kosovo will have to fulfill.

He reminds that "the process of Kosovo's accession to the Council of Europe was started then and that Kosovo had already taken certain steps towards the Council of Europe, i.e. that in 2012 a diplomatic office was established in Strasbourg at the Council of Europe, followed by Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe Development Bank in 2014, as well as membership in the Commission for Democracy through Law, known to our public as the Venice Commission.

Antonijevic says that he views the statements from Pristina, from Kurti to Gervalla, as statements by politicians addressing the domestic public, explaining that, despite the blockade of the Brussels Agreement and the absence of Pristina's will to take its obligations seriously, something is happening on the international stage, namely in the Council of Europe.

"The list that would determine, as a prerequisite for membership, whether there is a rule of law and respect for human and minority rights in Kosovo has not been drawn up yet, and numerous demands of the Serbian community could be found there, from property rights to numerous others. I also add the already clearly set condition of continued cooperation with Serbia, i.e. the implementation of agreements reached and the establishment of judicial bodies for the prosecution of crimes committed during the war in Kosovo, which also implies cooperation with the investigators of crimes committed by the KLA," Antonijevic says.

On the other hand, says Antonijevic, it is indisputable that Kosovo's membership in that international organization, which protects human rights, would open the way, first of all, to the Serbian community for initiating numerous procedures for the violation of their human rights, as well as access to the European Court of Human Rights.