The European Stability Initiative (ESI) today called on the foreign ministers of Council of Europe member states to accept Kosovo’s application for membership in the body and send it to the Parliamentary Assembly (PACE).

In a statement entitled: “Again 47? Russia outside, Kosovo inside “, ESI leaders Gerald Knaus and Kristof Bender have demanded that the decision be taken at the Turin meeting in Italy on May 20.

It recalls that sending Kosovo to PACE requires two-thirds of the votes, which falls to 31 of the 46 CoE member states. This is until 34 of them have recognized Kosovo. Italy is also mentioned as such, which is now chairing the Committee of Ministers.

ESI estimates that Kosovo, whose independence was also confirmed by the International Court of Justice, is the opposite of Russia, which was recently expelled from the CoE.

“Unlike Russia, Kosovo has marked a peaceful transfer of power through free and fair elections. Unlike Russia, an independent Kosovo has never had political prisoners. “Unlike Russia, Kosovo has never incited wars,” the statement said.