Kosovo reacts to the negative outcome of the EBU general assembly

Kosovo’s public broadcaster failed to become a full member of the EBU, as the union’s general assembly did not approve the required changes to the statute. The “country’s” public broadcaster, as expected through its CEO, Ngadhnjim Kastrati, has reacted to this negative development, which will not allow Kosovo to participate in the Eurovision Song Contest but also in other EBU’s events.

Which countries proposed the changes to the EBU’s statute

Five countries proposed a photographic change in the EBU’s statute, which would help Kosovo to join the EBU. This change was the abolition of membership of the International Telecommunications Union as a prerequisite for the admission of a public broadcaster to the EBU, which Kosovo lacks since it is not a member of the UN.

The five countries which began that process a year ago were:

Croatia – HRT
Hungary – MTVA
Montenegro – RTCG
Northern Macedonia – MRT
Slovenia – RTVSLO

According to what the Serbian delegation to the EBU GA in Oslo said after the vote, Hungary withdrew its signature and ultimately did not support the proposed changes.

Kosovo’s reaction

The general director of Kosovo’s public broadcaster, Ngadhnjim Kastrati, did not conceal his disappointment, as he said he had guarantees for the positive outcome of the vote. He justified the negative effect to the Serbian pressure as well as the foreign policy pursued by the Serbian goverment, through the embassies, but also on the support of a number of countries such as Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Algeria, Romania and others. On the contrary, the United Kingdom and Turkey helped Kosovo to join the EBU.

An attempt to change the EBU’s statute was started years ago by former RTK director Mentor Shala, with a great support from the Albanian representative and managed to gather five signatures in order to the EBU’s statute continued to change in order to enable RTK to be a fuller part of the EBU, but something else happened, despite being prepared to receive the necessary votes…The Serbian state had telephoned almost all the embassies, even to the countries they have known to us to prevent Kosovo from becoming full members of this organization, to prevent the change of the EBU statute…I want to thank the EBU Director General and the EBU Board Director for their commitment to change the statute. We also have a chance to reapply, but until next year we have no right to do so.

Do you think that Kosovo will eventually join EBU or not? Tell us your opinion in the comments below.

source:RTS, RTK, Eurovoix