Croatia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Gordan Grlić Radman, voiced strong support for Kosovo’s accession to the Council of Europe during his address at the ongoing summer plenary session of the Parliamentary Assembly in Strasbourg.
Radman described Kosovo’s potential membership as a significant contribution to the Council’s core mission:
“Kosovo’s admission to the Council of Europe would, in our view, fulfill our organization’s founding mission of promoting democracy, human rights, and the rule of law throughout Europe.”
His remarks came as part of a broader speech touching on the Western Balkans, where he emphasized the EU’s commitment to regional stability and good neighborly relations.
He praised the recent progress made by Albania and Montenegro on their EU paths and encouraged all countries in the region to remain focused and committed to fulfilling their obligations. Turning briefly to Bosnia and Herzegovina, Radman underscored the need for international attention and support.
On Kosovo, the Croatian foreign minister went further, calling its membership a “strategic opportunity” and “an important step toward strengthening European values across the continent.”
“Kosovo’s admission would eliminate a significant gap in the Council of Europe’s continental coverage, ensuring uniform European human rights standards across the Western Balkans,” he said.
Radman argued that Kosovo’s inclusion would enhance regional stability, support its European integration, and guarantee all communities — including the Serbian minority — full access to Europe’s human rights system.
Radman also voiced support for Ukraine, welcoming a newly signed agreement between Ukraine and the Council of Europe establishing a special tribunal.
Following his remarks, Kosovo’s Acting Foreign Minister Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz expressed her gratitude to Radman on platform X.
“Europe is stronger when united in values,” she wrote.
Grateful to 🇭🇷 FM @grlicradman for today’s clear message at @PACE_News:
„Kosova’s admission would fulfill @coe ‘s founding mission… a strategic opportunity to strengthen European values across the continent.“
Europe is stronger when united in values.https://t.co/QfRxRIvd2q— Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz (@gervallaschwarz) June 26, 2025
Kosovo’s Council of Europe Path So Far
Kosovo formally applied to join the Council of Europe in May 2022. In March 2023, the Committee of Ministers forwarded the application to the Parliamentary Assembly for an opinion.
In April 2024, the Assembly adopted a recommendation in favor of Kosovo’s membership. However, Kosovo’s accession was interconnected with several conditions — one of which was the implementation of a 2016 Constitutional Court ruling on the registration of monastery lands belonging to the Visoki Dečani Monastery. Kosovo has fulfilled this condition.
However, momentum appeared to stall after the recommendation reached the Committee of Ministers for a final decision. France and Germany subsequently requested that Kosovo submit a draft statute for the Association of Serb-Majority Municipalities (ASM) to the Constitutional Court — a step Pristina has so far resisted.
Observers believe that Kosovo’s reluctance to move forward with the ASM has delayed its accession process.
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