Journalist Michael Martens has stated today that Kosovo will "very soon" initiate the process of full membership in the Council of Europe.
In a post on Twitter, referring to his sources, he writes that mathematically and politically, the chances of success are considered to be good.
"Russia outside, Kosovo inside? Some reliable sources confirm that Kosovo will "very soon" initiate the process of full membership in the Council of Europe. Mathematically and politically, the chances of success are considered to be good. More in tomorrow's edition of FAZ", writes Martens.
Two weeks ago, the country's president, Vjosa Osmani, expressed optimism about the country's membership in the Council of Europe, but according to her, it takes a period of time from application to membership.
"We already have the agreement as institutions, and I, as the head of the Foreign Policy, requested that this year the application for membership in the Council of Europe be made. We are in the last stage of preparations for the application, but keep in mind that for membership in the Council of Europe, different countries needed different time for acceptance. Someone needed 1 year and someone else 5 years for membership. We are working with our partners to make this time as short as possible", she said, Telegrafi reports.
"As you know, more than 2/3 of the member states of the Council of Europe have recognized the independence of Kosovo and we hope that they will vote in our favor", the president said.
The professor of international relations, Dritëro Arifi, expressed optimism.
In an interview for KP, he said that if there is proper lobbying from Kosovo, the process can end successfully.
"The only international body where we can join very quickly and without legal problems is the Council of Europe. As for the procedures, it is easy and fast, since it is more a political decision of the member countries of the council if they find a common language and there is a good lobbying on the part of Kosovo, not as it was before. So let's not make diplomatic mistakes, as they can cost us a lot. If there is seriousness on the part of the parties, the process can go very quickly", said Arifi.
Otherwise, on March 16, the Russian Federation was expelled from the Council of Europe.
The Council is Europe's oldest political body and aims to uphold human rights, democracy and the rule of law across the continent.
A statement from the Council's Committee of Ministers said that after an "extraordinary" meeting, Russia's membership had been suspended.
The procedure to end Russia's membership first began on February 25 – the day after Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces invaded Ukraine. /Telegraph/
