The Greek MP who drafted the positive report for Kosovo's admission to the Council of Europe, Dora Bakoyannis, said that no candidate was asked for more reforms than Kosovo before the discussion on membership in the organization.
"To come to a positive opinion, it took 300 days, missions in Pristina, North Mitrovica and Brussels, a specialized team and dozens of meetings with government officials, ambassadors, Serbian mayors, representatives of the Serbian Orthodox Church, non-governmental organizations and international organizations. The report also asked the authorities in Pristina to restore the property of the most important Serbian monastery in the region after 25 years, to withdraw a draft law on the expropriation of Serbian property and to sign a list of agreements on human rights, and more all, put the Serbian community under international protection", writes Bakoyannis in an editorial for "European Western Balkans".
"No candidate has been asked to carry out so many reforms before the question of his acceptance into the organization is brought up for discussion. This is probably the reason why 83 percent of the Assembly voted in favor of the report."
Bakoyannis also writes about her "special" ties with the Serbian people. Defending his relationship with Serbia, Bakoyannis said that his positive report for Kosovo's membership in the Council of Europe was dedicated "only to human rights and the need to bring two million Europeans under the democratic umbrella of the Council of Europe ".