Pantic Pilja: Bakoyannis has recommended CoE admission for so-called Kosovo

BELGRADE - The head of Serbia's standing parliamentary delegation to the Council of Europe (CoE) Parliamentary Assembly Biljana Pantic-Pilja said on Friday CoE rapporteur Dora Bakoyannis had recommended that the so-called Kosovo be admitted the organisation, and added that its Committee on Political Affairs would decide on this at an extraordinary session scheduled for March 25.

"Previously, Bakoyannis said she would request Pristina to meet three conditions - a return of land to the Visoki Decani monastery, establishment of a Community of Serb Municipalities and a third one, related to land expropriation in Serb-majority municipalities. In spite of that, she has now changed her position and recommended to the CoE Committee on Political Affairs and the Parliamentary Assembly to admit the so-called Kosovo," Pantic Pilja said in a statement to Tanjug.

She added that this was a very disappointing decision, especially as Bakoyannis came from Greece, which does not recognise the so-called Kosovo.

"As an experienced politician, she is deftly trying to get away with this and says the Committee of Ministers would have the final say, but the CoE Committee on Political Affairs will be the first to decide on this at a Paris session next week," Pantic Pilja noted.

She added that the official agenda of the committee's session made no mention of a vote on the so-called Kosovo's admission, but noted that it might still be included.