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Kosovo's Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz
Photo: VALDRIN XHEMAJ / EPA-EFE
Kosovo applies for membership of the Council of Europe.
The government in Pristina instructed the Foreign Ministry to take the necessary steps, according to a cabinet statement on Thursday.
Shortly thereafter, Foreign Minister Donika Gervalla-Schwarz personally delivered the application to the organization's headquarters in Strasbourg, the ministry said on Twitter.
The Council of Europe is an organization of states with 46 member countries.
It includes all Balkan states except Kosovo.
It is not an EU institution.
The task is to monitor compliance with human rights in the member states.
In March, the organization excluded Russia because of its war of aggression against Ukraine.
"Human rights and basic freedoms are guaranteed by the constitution of the Republic of Kosovo," said Pristina.
The basic law of the Kosovan state created in 2008 integrated the European Convention on Human Rights, which is the basic document of the Council of Europe, as well as other international human rights documents.
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prospects are uncertain
Nonetheless, the prospects for Kosovo's admission to the Council of Europe are uncertain.
The former Serbian province, whose 1.9 million inhabitants are now almost exclusively Albanian, is not recognized by some members of the Council of Europe.
Serbia in particular does not accept the statehood of its former province and is demanding its return.
A few days ago, Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić threatened Kosovo with "strong and serious consequences" if it made an application.
But the EU countries Spain, Romania, Greece, Cyprus and Slovakia have not yet recognized Kosovo either.
Spain has traditionally been cautious about recognizing states like Kosovo.
Madrid fears that such a move could strengthen the independence movement in Catalonia, for example.
slue/dpa
