Rajic: Granting Kosovo special status in the CoE bodies would be a personal reward for Kurti

Analyst Predrag Rajic told Kosovo Online that any concession to Albin Kurti, including granting Kosovo a special status in the bodies of the Council of Europe, would be a personal reward for Kurti, which would encourage him to act even more radically and extremely toward the Serbian community in Kosovo.

Commenting on the inclusion of Pristina's request for special guest status in the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) on the agenda of the Political Committee, Rajic notes that nothing has changed since last year when Kosovo applied for full membership in the Council of Europe, only for the issue to be removed from the agenda.

“I don’t understand what has changed compared to last year that would warrant such a gesture of reward for Kurti from his Western European partners. When Kosovo applied for full membership in the Council of Europe, EU states ultimately realized that it could not proceed, and the issue was taken off the table. Nothing has changed in the meantime. Kurti has continued his actions against the Serbian community, has not softened his rhetoric or actions in the slightest, and has failed to fulfill his obligations under previous agreements. Therefore, any concession to him, such as granting Kosovo a special status in the Council of Europe, would be a personal reward for Kurti, emboldening him to behave even more radically and extremely toward the Serbian community in Kosovo and Metohija,” Rajic argued.

He emphasizes that Serbia will fight politically and diplomatically, as it has in the past, to prevent Kosovo from obtaining special guest status in PACE.

“We are constantly in an unequal struggle, and our chances are always slim. However, we have repeatedly shown that even when the odds are against us, we can prevail. We hope for the best outcome this time as well, but it is certainly not easy, as Kurti and the Albanian political community in Kosovo and Metohija enjoy strong support from the most powerful EU member states. This is difficult to overlook when analyzing the overall situation, its future development, and the demands that the Albanians may continue to submit,” Rajic concluded.