A vote on Kosovo’s bid to join the Strasbourg-based international human rights body, the Council of Europe, has laid bare a raft of geopolitical issues and tensions across Europe, as well as creating bumps in the road in terms of EU-backed attempts to soothe regional tensions.
Kosovo’s first step in the application process was approved with 33 out of a possible 46 votes in favour, enough to pass it to the Parliamentary Assembly for further action.
But Serbia has accused CoE of violating procedures in accepting Kosovo’s application and it has pledged to change its stance towards Ukraine for its abstaining from the vote, as well as on other countries that did not follow its line. This includes Greece and Slovakia, who do not recognise Kosovo’s 2008 independence from Serbia but decided to sit out on the crucial vote, hinting at a softening stance towards the CoE and EU hopeful.
Kosovo’s step towards CoE membership was widely celebrated, except from within Belgrade. Minister of Foreign Affairs Ivica Dacic was quick to allege that the Statute of the Council of Europe was violated because something that is not a state cannot be a member of the organisation.
“This decision definitely represents the ‘twilight’ of the Council of Europe charter because it is the first time that a request is made for a land that is not a state and is not recognised by the United Nations,” said Dacic.
He also said that Serbia would change its approach to foreign policy, particularly those who abstained or voted in favour of Kosovo.
Montenegro, for example, could abstain and show some respect towards our problems. Montenegro supported Kosovo’s application. They will need our vote, but they should no longer expect a positive approach from us,” said Dacic.
Ukraine was also in the firing line over its abstention with Serbia.
“Serbia condemns the violation of the territorial integrity of Ukraine in all resolutions, and when it comes to ours, they are restrained, which will affect further attitudes towards that country because foreign policy is based on reciprocity,” said Dacic.
The Ukraine delegate to CoE, Oleksiy Goncharenko, in October 2022, called for Kosovo to become a full member of the organisation, adding it should also be recognised as independent.
“Kosovo should be recognised by all the countries of the Council of Europe…I appeal to you, please recognise this country as an independent state for which they fought for their future and independence. They should sit here with us, be part of the Council of Europe, and only then can we be stronger, and this country will also flourish,” he told the plenary in an impassioned speech.
Ukraine is amongst those that do not recognise Kosovo’s independence, mainly due to its own territorial disputes. Goncharenko said that he is appealing to the Ukrainian parliament to recognise Kosovo as an independent country and that other countries must do the same.
On an EU level, the only countries not having recognised Kosovo’s 2008 declaration of independence from Serbia following the 1998-1999 war are Spain, Greece, Slovakia, Cyprus and Romania, all for different reasons.
But this group of countries was divided over the Kosovo vote showing for the first time a change of attitudes. For example, Greece’s abstention suggests a softening of stance, perhaps following a series of recent high-level visits of state officials to Pristina.
On the other hand, Hungary voted against.
Hungary recognises Kosovo’s independence, but its increasing friction with the EU, combined with what some perceive as sympathy towards Russia and Serbia, has cast an uncertain light on its actions.
Back in January 2023, Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto announced that “Hungary will vote against the accession of Kosovo to all European organisations until a deal with Serbia has been reached.”
Kosovo’s former foreign minister Petrit Selimi called Hungary’s stance “regrettable” and “bad news” while commending other non-recognisers for abstaining.
Dacic thanked Hungary because, as he said, it is a big deal that someone who recognised Kosovo votes against it along with Azerbaijan and, Georgia, Armenia. He also pointed out that Spain, Cyprus and Romania remained consistent in their stance.
The ‘big disappointment’
The “big disappointment” in the eyes of Belgrade came from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Greece, Slovakia and other countries that changed their attitude by abstaining from the vote.
“Montenegro could have shown a little respect for our problems, after this, they will not be able to count on our vote, as well as those who abstained,” stated Dacic.
In the case of Greece, a high-ranking official from the Serbian foreign ministry told EURACTIV last January that the Mediterranean country has been, in the last years, one of the “lightest” supporters among non-recognisers when it comes to Kosovo.
Athens’ abstention irritated Belgrade, considering the recent assurance of Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou that the Greek position on Kosovo remains “constant and unchanged” at a meeting with her Serbian counterpart Aleksandar Vucic.
Commenting on Dacic’s statement that Serbia will change its attitude towards Ukraine, Vucic said that the relationship with the whole world would not change because of one vote, but “if someone does not respect our territorial integrity, we will not respect theirs either”.
“We are not a country that will change all its relations with the whole world in one day or night because of one vote. There was disappointment. I want to inform you that the Ukrainian representatives asked for a break and decided to abstain on the issue of the territorial integrity of Serbia,” he said.
In an interview with EURACTIV in January, Dacic hinted for the first time that Belgrade might change course and impose sanctions on Russia.
In another sign that the narrative about Russia, seen as Serbia’s traditional ally, may be shifting, Serbian PM Ana Brnabic spoke on the same day of the “Russian aggression against Ukraine”, a wording Serbia previously did not use.
For Dacic, the sequence of events in CoE is evidence it was not a normal procedure because it was about Pristina being rewarded for something that Germany apparently promised Kosovo’s Prime Minister Albin Kurti.
“Why hasn’t CoE stated that the Association of Serb Municipalities has to be formed because Catherine Ashton signed on behalf of the EU?”, Dacic asked and added that Kurti conditioned the West to the alleged constructiveness of the talks on the Association of Serb Municipalities, which is “ridiculous, hypocritical, rude”.
“We should continue the dialogue, not dictate the interests of Pristina […] There is a possibility that the president will make a decision to participate on Thursday on behalf of Serbia at the UN Security Council session on Kosovo,” said Dacic.
*first published in: Euractiv.com
By: N. Peter Kramer
