Addressing a regular cabinet meeting, PM Kurti stood firm against pressure to establish the Association of Serb Municipalities, saying Kosovo was facing “a new condition that has nothing to do with the Council of Europe membership bid.”

“The government doesn’t accept membership conditions linked to the Association. We are discussing normalization of the relations with Serbia in Brussels and not in Strasbourg,” Kurti said.

France and Germany called on Kosovo authorities to take steps towards establishment of the Association of Serb Municipalities shortly after the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe recommended that Kosovo be invited to become a member of this international human rights body in end of April.

The successful vote in the Parliamentary Assembly has paved the way for the final decision by the Ministerial Council on May 16.

However, Kurti remains determined, refusing to compromise Kosovo’s principles.

Kurti also criticized demands to submit documents to Kosovo’s Constitutional Court by saying that “Kosovo refuses to legitimize documents it hasn’t officially accepted”.

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Speaker Nikolla praised the Kosovo head of state for hosting and organizing the International Forum for Women, Peace and Security within the framework of the Summit for Democracy, an initiative that is giving way to a positive process to address highly sensitive issues with a significant global impact.

Assembly Speaker underlined that the growing parliamentary cooperation is supporting further expansion of the Albania-Kosovo cooperation.

Kosovo President Osmani highlighted importance of the bilateral cooperation to tackle shared challenges, praised the parliamentary cooperation, and expressed gratitude for the Albanian Parliament delegations’ support for Kosovo in the international organizations, specifically the Council of Europe.

President Osmani and Speaker Nikolla discussed the challenge facing Kosovo and Albania this week, as the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe will vote on Kosovo’s bid to join the international human rights organization.

Nikolla assured President Osmani of the steadfast support and continued efforts to support Kosovo at the Parliamentary Assembly, until the country becomes a full-fledged member of the Council of Europe.

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According to the PACE agenda, the debate is scheduled to take place on April 18, when the report on Kosovo, prepared by Dora Bakoyanis, Azdeh Rojhan from Sweden, and Beatrice Fresko-Rolfo from Monaco, will be presented to the Assembly members.

A vote is set to take place after the debate and if Kosovo goes through this stage successfully, a vote on Kosovo’s Council of Europe membership at the Council of Ministers of the Council of Europe will determine whether Kosovo will join CoE.

The Council of Europe’s Parliamentary Assembly Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy voted a day ago to recommend that Kosovo joins the international human rights organization without any additional precondition.

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Montenegro holds three seats in the CoE Assembly, with Vukicevic representing the pro-Serb Democratic People’s Party (DPP).

Vukicevic’s stance underscores the complexity of Montenegro’s position regarding Kosovo’s status. While Montenegro officially recognizes Kosovo’s independence, Vukicevic’s refusal to support its CoE membership signals deeper political divisions within Montenegro.

The decision by Vukicevic, hailing from the pro-Serb DPP party, highlights the ongoing tensions and diverging political perspectives within Montenegro regarding Kosovo’s sovereignty and international integration.

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President Osmani was received by Prime Minister of Lithuania to discuss ways to deepen bilateral relations in the areas of security, defence, economy, information technology and other areas of mutual interest.

Osmani said that strengthening cooperation with partners and allies is top priority for Kosovo’s foreign policy.

“Kosovo is grateful for Lithuania’s support over the years and supporting Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe is key, as well as our aspirations towards EU and NATO integration,” Kosovo President said at meeting with Lithuanian Prime Minister.

Kosovo officially submitted the application for membership in the Council of Europe earlier today.

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