Latinovic: Voting in PACE a result of lobbying, but also western desire to increase control over the Balkans

Former Serbian Ambassador to the OSCE, Branka Latinovic, assesses that the voting in PACE for Kosovo's membership in this organization is partly the result of lobbying, but much more so due to the geopolitical interests of Western circles to keep the Western Balkans under even stronger control.

"Lobbying did play a significant role, but I am sure that at this stage the other two decisive factors were the geopolitical interest, which is extremely emphasized in everything that happens after Russia's aggression on Ukraine, and the visible aspirations and intentions of Western circles to integrate the Western Balkans more into European integration processes, and in this way stabilize and exert as much influence on our region and keep it under even stronger control," says Latinovic.

She points out that this was evident in the number of members who attended yesterday's PACE session, but even more so in the accelerated processes and shortened procedures in the EU negotiations with Moldova, Ukraine, Georgia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"Clearly, they have assessed that through the Council of Europe, since everything else is unachievable and much more complicated, they can create appropriate instruments to have more direct influence on this still unstable and very volatile area known as Kosovo and Metohija," emphasizes Latinovic.

She reminds us that Kosovo began its accession process in 2013 with membership in the Council of Europe Development Bank, followed by entry into the Venice Commission and obtaining observer status for the delegates of the Kosovo Assembly.

Latinovic believes that Serbia should have been playing a more active role in PACE from the beginning, and that Albania and its Prime Minister Edi Rama led the lobbying for Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe.

"Unlike our representatives, Albanian Prime Minister Rama was active in attending PACE sessions and actively lobbied, both personally and through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Albania. In a certain way, the points were on their side and this was crowned with what we saw yesterday as the result of the voting," concludes Latinovic.