During the fourth summit of the European Political Community (EPC) in London, President Vjosa Osmani met with Icelandic Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson to discuss Kosovo’s path towards joining the Council of Europe and enhancing cooperation between the two countries.
Osmani stated that Iceland played a pivotal role in advancing Kosovo’s efforts to join the Council of Europe.
“In the meeting with Icelandic Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson, we discussed the strategic importance of successfully finalizing this journey, emphasizing that Kosovo’s membership in the Council of Europe would represent a triumph of our commitment to the continuous advancement of human rights,” she said.
On April 16, Kosovo received a green light from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe to join this mechanism. However, it was not included in the agenda of the Council of Ministers’ meeting in May, as Kosovo refused to take steps towards establishing the association.
Prime Minister Albin Kurti declared that his government does not accept the condition of establishing the association, calling such a condition absurd.
The Council of Europe was established on May 5, 1949, to achieve greater unity among member states based on their shared traditions of political freedom.
The Council defends freedom of expression and media, equality, and minority rights in member states. It assists member countries in combating corruption and terrorism and in implementing necessary judicial reforms.
The Venice Commission, a group of experts on constitutional matters, provides legal advice to various states worldwide. As an international organization, the Council of Europe cannot make laws but has the capacity to promote the implementation of international agreements reached by member states on various issues.
The most well-known body of the Council of Europe is the European Court of Human Rights, which enforces the European Convention on Human Rights.
Source: Botasot
