The admission of Kosovo to the membership of the Council of Europe (CoE) is not on the agenda of the meeting of the CoE Committee of Ministers, which will be held on May 16 and 17, according to today’s announcement of the Council of Europe and the published agenda.
“The announcement reflects the agenda as it is at the moment and we have no more information to share,” Beta agency was told today in the Council of Europe when asked if this means that the ministers will not decide on the admission of Kosovo at the May meeting.
The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PSSE) supported the admission of Kosovo to the Council of Europe on April 16, adopting the opinion and recommendations of the Greek MP Dora Bakoyani.
The final decision on membership is taken by the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe, at the ministerial level, and such meetings are held once a year, usually in May.
On the agenda of this year’s ministerial meeting on May 16 and 17, according to the announcement published today, will be the measures that the Council of Europe continues to take in response to Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, the implementation of the Reykjavik Declaration adopted at the Summit of Heads of State and Government last year, and the adoption of the Framework conventions on artificial intelligence, human rights, democracy and the rule of law.
Ministers will also consider the work of the CoE in areas such as human rights, including social and child rights, democracy, the rule of law, the fight against the death penalty, education and culture, civil society and youth participation, human rights in the digital age, migration and trade. people, protection of journalists and measures to combat misinformation, anti-discrimination and inclusion, gender equality and the environment, according to today’s announcement.
They will also discuss cooperation between the Council of Europe and the European Union, and Liechtenstein will hand over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers to Lithuania at the end of the ministerial session.
On May 16, the Ministers of Foreign Affairs will participate in the ceremony marking the 75th anniversary of the Council of Europe.
