As the host, this state attempted to use the opportunity and invite representatives of the Kosovo Assembly to, as guests, take part in the proceedings at the Plenary Session. At the sitting of the Standing Committee which takes place just before the Plenary Session, the delegations of Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Armenia, Moldova, Romania, Russia and Ukraine voted against participating, while Turkey abstained, which resulted in the cancellation of the Plenary Session and is a precedent in this parliamentary organisation.

The National Assembly’s delegation cancelled its participation, despite the preparations and assurances by the Albanian side that a Kosovo delegation would not take part, right before the beginning of the session after the official announcement that a Kosovo Assembly delegation would indeed take part. During the preparations, the National Assembly’s delegation was in contact with the other participant delegations, keeping them appraised on Serbia’s position regarding the possible participation of a Kosovo delegation and the negative consequences it would have.

Aleksandar Vlahovic is the head of the National Assembly’s standing delegation to the PABSEC, and the six-member delegation comprises the leading power and opposition parliamentary groups at the National Assembly.

The parliamentary delegations of the member states and the staff of the PABSEC International Secretariat will experience difficulties due to the decision to call off the Plenary Session. Namely, last night, after midnight, they were informed that their rooms have been cancelled and that the host would not provide transportation to the airport which was the Albanian Parliament’s duty.