Pantic Pilja: Through amendments, we are trying to mitigate the Opinion of Dora Bakoyannis

The Serbian delegation in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe has submitted 10 amendments to the text of the recommendation for Kosovo's admission to this international organization. The head of the Serbian delegation, Biljana Pantic Pilja, told for Kosovo Online that this is an attempt to soften the Opinion of the PACE rapporteur, Dora Bakoyannis.

"We are trying to mitigate the Opinion of Dora Bakoyannis with the amendments," said Pantic Pilja.

She noted that the decision of the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs, which supported the draft Opinion on Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe, was expected.

"The committee made an expected decision, but it was not unanimous, as three members were against it—two members of the Serbian delegation and a colleague from Cyprus," Pantic Pilja conveyed.

One of the amendments submitted by the Serbian delegation calls for a postponement of the decision on Pristina's membership request until the United Nations Security Council "determines or approves the status of Kosovo and Metohija."

Serbia also requests that the proposed text be modified so that the establishment of the Community of Serb Municipalities (CSM) be a precondition for continuing the process of considering Kosovo's membership application, rather than a "post-accession obligation," as stated in the recommendation.