Kosovo secures support from a record number of countries for the accession process in UNESCO

September 12, 2015 by dgreca

Kosova drejt UNESCO-s, kërkesa për aplikim është dorëzuar nga Shqipëria/

Prishtina, 12 September 2015 – The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo held an extraordinary conference today where Deputy Foreign Minister Petrit Selimi revealed new details on the process of Kosovo’s membership in the United Nations Organization for Education, Science and Culture (UNESCO), after the inclusion of Kosovo’s application for membership on the agenda of UNESCO’s Executive Board signed by a record number of member states.
Foreign Minister Selimi said that Kosovo has applied for membership in UNESCO this summer via New York, in accordance with the recommendations from the respective UN agency. Selimi stressed that “the UN in New York has authorized the UNESCO with its mechanisms to lead the process independently” and added that UNESCO’s Director General, Irina Bokova has now passed Kosovo’s application to the Executive Board. This development, according to Selimi, has opened the door for Kosovo’s inclusion on the agenda of the Executive Board.Kosovo has already secured votes from 19 member states of the Executive Board, which is a good news given that the country will need a simple majority in the Board which would then enable the voting process in the General Assembly of UNESCO.

“Kosovo’s request has been submitted by Albania and is signed by 44 UNESCO member states which is a record number of co-sponsors in the recent history of UNESCO”, Selimi said. Deputy Foreign Minister recalled that the Executive Board of UNESCO will consider Kosovo’s application for membership on October 3^rd, while the General Assembly of UNESCO is expected to vote in the first week of November where the country will need two thirds of the vote for admission to this UN agency.

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Kosova drejt UNESCO-s, kërkesa për aplikim është dorëzuar nga Shqipëria/

PRISHTINË, 12 Shtator /ATSH-Behlul Jashari/.-Kosova bën hapin e parë drejt anëtarësimit në UNESCO, deklaroi sot Minsitria e Jashtme kosovare në një konferencë të jashtëzakonshme shtypi, ku zv/ministri i Jashtëm Petrit Selimi i pyetur nga ATSH tha se Shqipëria kishte një rol thelbësor për shtyrjen e procesit përpara.

“Kërkesa për aplikim është dorëzuar nga Shqipëria dhe është nënshkruar nga 44 shtete anëtare të UNESCO-s që përbën një numër rekord në historinë e re të UNESCO-s”, theksoi zv/ministi i Jashtëm kosovar, Selimi.

“Ambasadorja në delegacionin e Shqipërisë në UNESCO, Besiana Kadare ka luajtur një rol thelbësor. Ekipet tona, imi dhe i saj, kanë qenë të ngjizura, prej tre muajsh kemi kontakt ditor, madje gati çdo orë, sidomos në periudhën e fundit dyjavore, kur për shkak të mosqasjes së Kosovës në UNESCO, Shqipëria ka marrë një rol shumë aktiv të mbledhjes së nënshkrimeve”, tha Selmi.

Më tej në deklaratën për ATSH, numri dy i MPJ-së kosovare për ambasadoren Kadare vlerësoi se është “një diplomate që ka emër, eksperiencë dhe reputacion të mirë, është zëvendëspresidente e Komitetit Ekzekutv dhe si e tillë mund të them se ka luajtur një rol thelbësor për shtyrjen e procesit përpara”.

Zv/ministri i Jashtëm Petrit Selimi shpalosi detaje të reja rreth procesit të anëtarësimit të Kosovës në Organizatën e Kombeve të Bashkuara për Arsimin, Shkencën dhe Kulturën -UNESCO, pas futjes se kërkesës së Kosovës për anëtarësim në axhendë të Bordit Ekzekutiv, të nënshkruar nga një numër rekord i shteteve anëtare.

Zv/ministri Selimu u shpreh se Kosova ka aplikuar për anëtarësim gjatë verës përmes Nju Jorkut, sipas rekomandimeve nga vetë agjencia gjegjëse e Kombeve të Bashkuara.

“OKB-ja në Nju Jork ka autorizuar UNESCO-n me mekanizmat e saj t’i prijë procesit në mënyrë të pavarur”, tha ai. Selmi bëri të ditur se drejtoresha e përgjithshme e UNESCO-s, Irina Bokova ka përcjellë më tej aplikimin e Kosovës në Boordin Ekzekutiv të UNESCO-s. “Ky zhvillim ka hapur dyert që Kosova të futet në axhendën e Bordit Ekzekutiv”, tha ai.

MPJ kosovare thekon se, Kosova tani ka siguruar votën e deklaruar haptas nga 19 shtete anëtare, e kjo bën një lajm pozitiv marrë parasysh se në Këshillin Ekzekutiv vendit do t’i duhet shumica e thjeshtë për t’u votuar më pas në Asamblenë e Përgjithshme të UNESCO-s.

Selimi rikujtoi se Bordi Ekzekutiv i UNESCO-s do të shqyrtojë kërkesën e Kosovës për anëtarësim në 3 tetor, ndërsa Asambleja e Përgjithëshme e UNESCO-s pritet të votojë në javën e parë të nëntorit, me ç’rast do të kërkohen 2/3 e votave për pranimin e Kosovës në këtë agjenci të OKB-së.

Selimi received the Head of NATO’s Operations Section, Michel Soula

July 30, 2015 by dgreca

Prishtina, 30 July 2015 – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, Petrit Selimi, received today the Head of NATO’s Operations Sectior, Michel Soula
Deputy Minister Selimi thanked his guest for NATO’s valuable contribution to stability and security in Kosovo and briefed him on the latest development and the progress achieved in Kosovo.
Besides deepening the excellent cooperation between Kosovo and NATO, Selimi and Soula discussed other issues pertinent to security in the country and the region, the transformation of the Kosovo Security Force into Kosova Armed Forces, but also on other political issues important to Kosovo.
Head of NATO’s Operations Section, Michel Soula, said that NATO remains committed to support Kosovo in further consolidation of stability and security.
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NATO e përkushtuar të mbështes Kosovën në konsolidimin e mëtejmë të stabilitetit dhe të sigurisë/
– Shprehet në Prishtinë shefi i seksionit të operacioneve në NATO, Michel Soula/
PRISHTINË, 30 Korrik 2015/ Zëvendësministri i Punëve të Jashtme të Republikës së Kosovës, Petrit Selimi, priti sot në Prishtinë një takim pune shefin e seksionit të operacioneve në NATO, Michel Soula.
Zëvendësministri Selimi e falënderoi mysafirin e tij për kontributin e çmuar të NATO-s për stabilitetin dhe sigurinë në Kosovë. Ai e njoftoi atë mbi zhvillimet e fundit dhe progresin e arritur në Kosovë.
Veç thellimit të bashkëpunimit të shkëlqyeshëm ndërmjet Kosovës dhe NATO-s, Selimi dhe Soula diskutuan edhe për çështje të tjera që kanë të bëjnë me sigurinë në vend dhe rajon, transformimin e Forcës së Sigurisë së Kosovës në Forcat e Armatosura të Kosovës, por edhe për çështje të tjera politike me rëndësi për Kosovën.
Shefi i seksionit të operacioneve në NATO, Michel Soula, u shpreh se NATO mbetet e përkushtuar që të mbështes Kosovën në konsolidimin e mëtejmë të stabilitetit dhe të sigurisë./b.j/

Selimi for Belgrade’s “Danas”: “We will seek membership in other organizations”

July 23, 2015 by dgreca

Prishtina, Belgrade, 23 July 2015 – Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, Petrit Selimi, has given an interview to Belgrade daily “Danas”, where he emphasized that “we are that, in addition to UNESCO, Kosovo will seek membership in other international organizations”.
Below you will find the full interview.
Kosovo has been recognized by 111 members of UNESCO. Many other non-recognizers also vote for us in multilateral organizations, like they did in IMF of World Bank. We tested this six months ago when we applied for observer status in Francophonie. Despite hysterical and sad reactions of Serbian diplomats which tried to block Kosovo in Senegal, all members decided by consensus to accept Kosovo.
It was similar story in International Olympic Committee. This is a tough battle but I am saddened why Serbia is fighting to keep Kosovo isolated. Policy of trying to isolate Kosovars, is a policy that failed in the past and it even backfired for Serbia. It will backfire again. – says Petrit Selimi, Deputy head of Kosovo’s diplomacy in an interview for Danas, related to Kosovo’s bid for Unesco membership.
Danas: Why is Prishtina sure that this autumn, the mechanism of voting will be in favor of Kosovo in Executive board and General conference of UNESCO?

PS: We have worked very carefully in coordination with all of Kosovo’s international partners and always assessing when is optimal moment to apply. After careful consideration, we have already in January decided to apply now so our request can be considered at November meeting of General Conference of UNESCO. As Deputy Prime Minister Thaci indicated last week, have engaged with over 130 delegations and we have scheduled meetings with another 20 this month so after listening to the mood and interest of the national delegations, we believe that Kosovo has a very good chance to become a new member of UNESCO on the exact anniversary of this organization. UNESCO is celebrating 70 years of existence this year and Kosovo will be a nice birthday present. It’s a tough battle but our national interest is for Kosovars to have same opportunities, same tools of development and same position as all other peoples in the Balkans.

Danas: What is the answer of Prishtina on the question made by Serbian side how will the historical and religious monuments in Kosovo be protected by those that have systematically under UN protectorate destroyed them – Kosovo government has never condemned the destruction of churches – over 150 of them, of whom many are medieval?

PS: Fistly, it’s a disgusting lie that Kosovo government has never condemned the destruction of some church buildings. Actually, Kosovo government has allocated millions of Euros to repair them after the march riots of 2004. Today, it’s Kosovo police that is guarding 95% of all the Serbian Orthodox Church property and they are safely being visited by tourists from around the world.
Secondly, the only government in Balkans that has been engaged in systematic and state-sponsored destruction of religious heritage is government and army of Serbia, as proven so by several sentences in the International Tribunal in Hague. Serbian army and police completely destroyed over 300 mosques, including Bazaar mosque from 1761, Halil Efendi Mosque from 1526, Bektashi tekkes in Gjakovica from 1790, etc. So I find it very cynical and shameless to hear Djuric or Dacic speak of destruction of religious property.

Danas: Why is then Council of Europe insisting that CoE gave money for reparations of Serbian holy sites destroyed in March pogrom, which was transferred to Kosovo government, which was a formula agreed in 2005 by the Serbian Orthodox Church which signed an MoU on reparations of the Serbian churches and Monasteries destroyed.?

PS: I don’t think Council of Europe is saying any such thing. We have daily interaction with them. It’s known that Kosovo government dedicated 5 million euros for the reparations of the churches. One must add that our membership bid for UNESCO is not meant to provoke the Serbian Orthodox Church or to claim the heritage as Albanian, but to enable Kosovo’s development in education, science and culture. Heritage is a small portion of what UNESCO does. We understand that heritage is an important issue and Kosovo medieval sites currently listed in UNESCO Heritage list will always be property of Serbian Orthodox Church. Ahtisaari Plan and Kosovo constitution provides a very important constitutional protection of the SOC. Bishop Teodosije, Father Sava and many other clergymen of the church in Kosovo have been supportive of reconciliation and we must give each other hand of friendship and respect. Serbian government statements regarding Kosovo’s bid to UNESCO are not a way to build good neighborly relations. Membership of Kosovo to UNESCO will require a big effort from Kosovo diplomacy, but it’s a battle that we will win because our fight is not about politics but about enabling all people of Kosovo, regardless of religion or ethnicity access to highest international standards and mechanisms in important fields of human development. I sometimes think Serbian government started to believe in its own false propaganda. Kosovo is already member of two UN agencies of “Bretton Woods system”, namely World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Also, in September 2010, after former foreign minister Vuk Jeremic had to withdraw his unacceptable proposal for more status talks, UN General Assembly has voted on a EU-sponsored resolution that acknowledged the opinion of International Court of Justice that Kosovo Declaration of Independence did not breach the Resolution 1244 or any applicable international law and this step closed any discussions about the status of Kosovo, once and forever. Kosovo and Serbia are now talking in Brussels how to normalize relations as two independent countries. So, our application membership to UNESCO is not unusual. It will also be followed with application to many other organizations.