(ATR) Kosovo could become the 50th country participating at the European Games if its Olympic committee is recognized by the IOC in December.
Around the Rings understands that the European Olympic Committees is expected to approve Kosovo’s application for full membership at its executive committee meeting on Nov. 20 in Baku, Azerbaijan.
The decision is set to be ratified at the EOC general assembly the following day, although the Serbian Olympic Committee is sure to object strongly to the move.
Officials from the Kosovo Olympic Committee will be observers at the EOC assembly.
But the IOC Extraordinary Session meeting in Monaco in December will have the final say.
If all goes ahead without a hitch in Monaco, Kosovo will be included in the European Games in 2015, becoming the 50th nation.
Earlier this week, the IOC Executive Board decided to provisionally recognize the KOC, which was founded in 1992. The decision means Kosovo is on schedule to participate its first Olympics at Rio 2016.
On Thursday, IOC president Thomas Bach defended the decision following a protest lodged by the Serbian NOC, which said it "strongly condemns" the decision.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008. Ongoing tensions between the two nations are linked to the ethnic cleansing of Kosovar Albanians from Kosovo during the civil war in Serbia in 1998 and 1999. Serbia has refused to recognize the sovereign Republic of Kosovo.
Asked if Bach was worried about any political ramifications to the IOC’s decision given resistance from Serbia and Russia to recognize Kosovo, he said: "There are no concerns because we have had broad consultations for some time concerning this issue and the autonomy of the IOC is widely acknowledged.
"By taking that decision we have just applied the Olympic Charter. I am not worried about these kinds of ramifications."
Speaking to reporters in a conference call that followed the IOC’s executive board meeting, he added: "There will be different degrees of happiness in different parts of the world."
Reported by Mark Bisson
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