The Embassy of France in Pristina says that the official Paris recommends that the Government of Kosovo submit the Draft Statute for the Association to the Constitutional Court, in a way which will be suitable for the Court.
The Embassy of France in response emphasizes that the Statute has the full support of the countries that support the dialogue facilitated by the European Union and emphasize that the EU Draft so far represents the best and only basis for the establishment of the Association of Municipalities with a Serbian Majority.
“This charter has been fully endorsed by the countries that support the EU-led dialogue. It offers so far the best and only basis for the creation of the Association”, the French Embassy told T7.
Sending the Draft to the Constitutional Court for interpretation, according to the French Embassy, would give a strong signal of Kosovo’s commitment to establish it and would show Kosovo’s commitment to minority rights, as one of the pillars of the Council of Europe and at the same time it will be a welcome step to ensure support on the way to membership in the Council of Europe.
“Sending the draft statute of the Association to the Constitutional Court for interpretation would send a strong signal of Kosovo’s commitment to fulfill this issue and would further demonstrate Kosovo’s commitment to minority rights, which is one of the pillars of the Council of Europe, and it would therefore be a welcome step to ensure support for Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe”, concluded the Embassy of France for T7.
Germany and Italy have the same position regarding the path to membership in the Council of Europe. Even the US emissary for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, has said that the US does not have a vote in the Council, but that the Association and membership in the Council of Europe are interconnected.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti, in a presentation from the meeting of the Government of Kosovo, has considered as absurd the conditionality of membership in KiE with the establishment of the Association. In addition, Kurti said that the EU Draft Statute is not a document but only a “non-paper”, since it was not accepted at the December meeting to be signed within the package that also includes the Agreement on Normalization.
