![Kosovo relations](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/23/Kosovo_relations.svg)
International recognition of Kosovo, since its
declaration of independence
A declaration of independence or declaration of statehood or proclamation of independence is an assertion by a polity in a defined territory that it is independent and constitutes a state. Such places are usually declared from part or all of the ...
from
Serbia
Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...
enacted on 17 February 2008, has been mixed, and international governments are divided on the issue.
, out of ()
United Nations
The United Nations (UN) is an intergovernmental organization whose stated purposes are to maintain international peace and international security, security, develop friendly relations among nations, achieve international cooperation, and be ...
member states, 22 out of 27 ()
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
member states, 26 out of 30 ()
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO, ; french: Organisation du traité de l'Atlantique nord, ), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental military alliance between 30 member states – 28 European and two No ...
member states, and 33 out of 57 ()
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation
An organization or organisation (Commonwealth English; see spelling differences), is an entity—such as a company, an institution, or an association—comprising one or more people and having a particular purpose.
The word is derived from ...
member states have recognised
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
on both
Serbian and
Kosovan side. Conflicts have arisen regarding the number of countries recognizing Kosovo. The
government of Serbia
The Government of Serbia ( sr, Влада Србије, Vlada Srbije), formally the Government of the Republic of Serbia ( sr, Влада Републике Србије, Vlada Republike Srbije), commonly abbreviated to Serbian Government ( sr, ...
does not recognise it as a
sovereign state
A sovereign state or sovereign country, is a polity, political entity represented by one central government that has supreme legitimate authority over territory. International law defines sovereign states as having a permanent population, defin ...
.
In 2013, the two sides began to normalise relations in accordance with the
Brussels Agreement. In September 2020, Serbia and Kosovo agreed to normalise economic ties.
[Serbia to move embassy to Jerusalem; mostly Muslim Kosovo to recognize Israel](_blank)
The Times of Israel, 9 April 2020 Serbia also agreed to suspend its efforts to encourage other states to either not recognise Kosovo or to revoke recognition for one year, while Kosovo agreed to not apply for new membership of international organisations for the same period.
Among the
G20
The G20 or Group of Twenty is an intergovernmental forum comprising 19 countries and the European Union (EU). It works to address major issues related to the global economy, such as international financial stability, climate change mitigation, ...
countries, eleven have recognised Kosovo as an independent state:
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...
,
Canada
Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...
,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
,
Germany
Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
,
Japan
Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...
,
South Korea
South Korea, officially the Republic of Korea (ROK), is a country in East Asia, constituting the southern part of the Korea, Korean Peninsula and sharing a Korean Demilitarized Zone, land border with North Korea. Its western border is formed ...
,
Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about , making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the A ...
,
Turkey
Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a list of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolia, Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with ...
, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...
and the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
. Eight, however, have not:
Argentina
Argentina (), officially the Argentine Republic ( es, link=no, República Argentina), is a country in the southern half of South America. Argentina covers an area of , making it the second-largest country in South America after Brazil, th ...
,
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
,
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
,
India
India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
,
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...
,
Mexico
Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
,
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
and
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
.
Background
A number of states expressed concern over the unilateral character of Kosovo's declaration, or explicitly announced that they would not recognise an independent Kosovo. The
United Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the Organs of the United Nations, six principal organs of the United Nations (UN) and is charged with ensuring international security, international peace and security, recommending the admi ...
(UNSC) remains divided on this issue: of its five members with
veto power
A veto is a legal power to unilaterally stop an official action. In the most typical case, a president or monarch vetoes a bill to stop it from becoming law. In many countries, veto powers are established in the country's constitution. Veto pow ...
, three (the United States, the United Kingdom, and France) have recognised the declaration of independence, while the People's Republic of China has expressed concern, urging the continuation of the previous negotiation framework. The
Russian Federation
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...
has rejected the declaration and considers it illegal. In May 2008, Russia, China, and India released a joint statement calling for new negotiations between
Belgrade
Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
and
Pristina
Pristina, ; sr, / (, ) is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. The city's municipal boundaries in Pristina District form the largest urban center in Kosovo. After Tirana, Pristina has the second largest population of ethnic Albanians and ...
.
[Russia, India, China urge resumption of Kosovo talks](_blank)
Xinhua, 15 May 2008.
Although EU member states individually decide whether to recognise Kosovo, by consensus the EU has commissioned the
(EULEX) to ensure peace and continued external oversight. Due to the dispute in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), the reconfiguration of the
United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo
The United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) is the officially mandated mission of the United Nations in Kosovo. The UNMIK describes its mandate as being to "help the United Nations Security Council achieve an overall ...
(UNMIK) and partial handover to the EULEX mission met with difficulties. In spite of Russian and Serbian protests, the
UN Secretary-General
The secretary-general of the United Nations (UNSG or SG) is the chief administrative officer of the United Nations and head of the United Nations Secretariat, one of the six principal organs of the United Nations.
The role of the secretary-ge ...
Ban Ki-moon
Ban Ki-moon (; ; born 13 June 1944) is a South Korean politician and diplomat who served as the eighth secretary-general of the United Nations between 2007 and 2016. Prior to his appointment as secretary-general, Ban was his country's Minister ...
proceeded with the reconfiguration plan. On 15 July 2008, he stated: "In the light of the fact that the Security Council is unable to provide guidance, I have instructed my
Special Representative
Diplomatic rank is a system of professional and social rank used in the world of diplomacy and international relations. A diplomat's rank determines many ceremonial details, such as the order of precedence at official processions, table seating ...
to move forward with the reconfiguration of UNMIK ... in order to adapt UNMIK to a changed reality." According to the Secretary-General, the "United Nations has maintained a position of strict neutrality on the question of Kosovo's status". On 26 November 2008, the UNSC gave the green light to the deployment of the EULEX mission in Kosovo. The EU mission is to assume police, justice, and customs duties from the UN, while operating under the
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244
United Nations Security Council resolution 1244, adopted on 10 June 1999, after recalling resolutions 1160 (1998), 1199 (1998), 1203 (1998) and 1239 (1999), authorised an international civil and military presence in the Federal Republic of Y ...
(UNSCR 1244) that first placed Kosovo under UN administration in 1999.
A
United Nations General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
(UNGA) resolution adopted on 8 October 2008 backed the request of Serbia to seek an
.
[Backing Request by Serbia, General Assembly Decides to Seek International Court of Justice Ruling on Legality of Kosovo's Independence](_blank)
United Nations, 8 October 2008. On 22 July 2010, the ICJ ruled that the declaration of independence of Kosovo did not violate
international law
International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
"because international law contains no prohibition on declarations of independence", and that its authors were not bound by the
Constitutional Framework (promulgated by UNMIK) or by
UNSCR 1244, that is addressed only to
United Nations Member States
United may refer to:
Places
* United, Pennsylvania, an unincorporated community
* United, West Virginia, an unincorporated community
Arts and entertainment Films
* ''United'' (2003 film), a Norwegian film
* ''United'' (2011 film), a BBC Two f ...
and
organs of the United Nations
The United Nations System consists of the United Nations' six principal organs (the General Assembly, Security Council, Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), Trusteeship Council, International Court of Justice (ICJ), and the UN Secretariat), ...
.
[Accordance with international law of the unilateral declaration of independence in respect of Kosovo, Advisory Opinion](_blank)
, International Court of Justice, I.C.J. Reports 2010, p. 403.
Within the EU, key supporters of Kosovo's statehood include France and Germany. The strongest opponents to Kosovo's statehood within the EU include Spain
and Greece.
The Spanish non-recognition of Kosovo is linked to the Spanish government's opposition to the
Basque
Basque may refer to:
* Basques, an ethnic group of Spain and France
* Basque language, their language
Places
* Basque Country (greater region), the homeland of the Basque people with parts in both Spain and France
* Basque Country (autonomous co ...
and
Catalan independence movement
The Catalan independence movement ( ca, independentisme català; Spanish: ''independentismo catalán'') is a social and political movement (with roots in Catalan nationalism) which seeks the independence of Catalonia from Spain.
The beginnings ...
s,
while the Greek non-recognition of Kosovo is linked to the
Cyprus dispute
The Cyprus problem, also known as the Cyprus dispute, Cyprus issue, Cyprus question or Cyprus conflict, is an ongoing dispute between Greek Cypriots in the south and Turkish Cypriots in the north. Initially, with the Modern history of Cyprus#In ...
and Greece's historic relationship to Serbia.
Serbia's reaction
Due to Serbian claims that Kosovo is part of its sovereign territory, its initial reactions included recalling ambassadors from countries that recognised Kosovo for several months, indicting Kosovar leaders on charges of high treason, and litigating the case at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Serbia also expelled ambassadors from countries that recognised Kosovo after the UNGA vote adopting Serbia's initiative to seek an ICJ
advisory opinion
An advisory opinion is an opinion issued by a court or a commission like an election commission that does not have the effect of adjudicating a specific legal case, but merely advises on the constitutionality or interpretation of a law. Some cou ...
.
In December 2012, as a result of
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
mediated
negotiations
Negotiation is a dialogue between two or more people or parties to reach the desired outcome regarding one or more issues of conflict. It is an interaction between entities who aspire to agree on matters of mutual interest. The agreement ...
on
Kosovo's status, Serbian Prime Minister
Ivica Dačić
Ivica Dačić ( sr-cyr, Ивица Дачић, ; born 1 January 1966) is a Serbian politician serving as first deputy prime minister of Serbia and minister of foreign affairs since 2022, roles which he previously served under governments of Mirk ...
agreed to appoint a liaison officer to Kosovo. In March 2013, Dačić said that while his government would never recognise Kosovo's independence, "the Serbian president cannot go to Kosovo, nor the prime minister, nor ministers, nor the police or army. Serbs can only leave Kosovo. That's how much Kosovo is ours and what our constitution and laws mean there".
In April 2013, Kosovo and Serbia reached
an agreement to normalise relations, and thereby allow both nations to eventually join the
European Union
The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...
. On 17 June 2013 Kosovo and Serbia exchanged liaison officers.
However, the process of normalisation stalled in November 2018, after which Kosovo imposed a 100 percent tax on importing Serbian goods. On 1 April 2020, Kosovo withdrew the tax.
In September 2020, under an agreement brokered by the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
, Serbia and Kosovo agreed to normalise economic ties.
Serbia also agreed to suspend its efforts to encourage other states to either not recognise Kosovo or to revoke recognition for one year, while Kosovo agreed to not apply for new membership of international organisations for the same period.
International Court of Justice recognition
On 27 March 2008 Serbian Foreign Minister
Vuk Jeremić
Vuk Jeremić ( sr-cyr, Вук Јеремић, ; born 3 July 1975) is a Serbian politician and diplomat who served as the president of the United Nations General Assembly from 2012 to 2013 and as the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Serbia from 200 ...
said Serbia would request the
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
to review the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence. On 8 October 2008 the
UN General Assembly
The United Nations General Assembly (UNGA or GA; french: link=no, Assemblée générale, AG) is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN), serving as the main deliberative, policymaking, and representative organ of the UN. Curr ...
adopted Serbia's resolution requesting the
International Court of Justice
The International Court of Justice (ICJ; french: Cour internationale de justice, links=no; ), sometimes known as the World Court, is one of the six principal organs of the United Nations (UN). It settles disputes between states in accordanc ...
to assess the legality of Kosovo's declaration of independence. The United Nations General Assembly adopted this proposal on 8 October 2008 with 77 votes in favor, 6 votes against and 74 abstentions. The court delivered its opinion on 22 July 2010; by a vote of 10 to 4, it declared that "the adoption of the declaration of independence of 17 February 2008 did not violate general
international law
International law (also known as public international law and the law of nations) is the set of rules, norms, and standards generally recognized as binding between states. It establishes normative guidelines and a common conceptual framework for ...
because international law contains no 'prohibition on declarations of independence', nor did the adoption of the declaration of independence violate UN Security Council
Resolution 1244
United Nations Security Council resolution 1244, adopted on 10 June 1999, after recalling resolutions 1160 (1998), 1199 (1998), 1203 (1998) and 1239 (1999), authorised an international civil and military presence in the Federal Republic of Y ...
, since this did not describe Kosovo's final status, nor had the Security Council reserved for itself the decision on final status.
Positions taken by sovereign entities
According to a 2020 study, states which have strong ties to the United States are more likely to recognise Kosovo, whereas states with stronger ties to Russia are less likely to recognise Kosovo.
Countries that recognise Kosovo as an independent state
Member states of the United Nations
;Notes
Other states and entities
Alleged withdrawn recognition
The Serbian Foreign Ministry claimed in March 2020 that there are eighteen nations that have withdrawn their recognition: Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Comoros, Dominica, Ghana, Grenada, Guinea-Bissau, Lesotho, Liberia, Madagascar, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, São Tomé and Príncipe, Sierra Leone, Solomon Islands, Suriname, and Togo. In many of those cases, Kosovo's foreign ministry has called it "
fake news
Fake news is false or misleading information presented as news. Fake news often has the aim of damaging the reputation of a person or entity, or making money through advertising revenue.Schlesinger, Robert (April 14, 2017)"Fake news in reality ...
" and "Serbian propaganda".
Several of these alleged withdrawals have been disputed:
*
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau ( ; pt, Guiné-Bissau; ff, italic=no, 𞤘𞤭𞤲𞤫 𞤄𞤭𞤧𞤢𞥄𞤱𞤮, Gine-Bisaawo, script=Adlm; Mandinka: ''Gine-Bisawo''), officially the Republic of Guinea-Bissau ( pt, República da Guiné-Bissau, links=no ) ...
withdrew recognition in November 2017, but in 2018 sent a ''
note verbale
Diplomatic correspondence is correspondence between one state and another and is usually of a formal character. It follows several widely observed customs and style in composition, substance, presentation, and delivery and can generally be categor ...
'' to the government of Kosovo stating that the previous note revoking recognition had no effect.
[
*Just a few days after reports emerged of its withdrawal of recognition in June 2018, the government of ]Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
issued a statement "reaffirming bilateral relations with Kosovo" and stating that such reports were false.
*São Tomé and Príncipe
São Tomé and Príncipe (; pt, São Tomé e Príncipe (); English: " Saint Thomas and Prince"), officially the Democratic Republic of São Tomé and Príncipe ( pt, República Democrática de São Tomé e Príncipe), is a Portuguese-speaking i ...
never officially recognised Kosovo, according to its former president Manuel Pinto da Costa
Manuel Pinto da Costa (born 5 August 1937) is a Santomean economist and politician who served as the first president of São Tomé and Príncipe from 1975 to 1991. He again served as president from 2011 to 2016.
Life and career
Educated in Eas ...
(see the table below for more info).
*Suriname
Suriname (; srn, Sranankondre or ), officially the Republic of Suriname ( nl, Republiek Suriname , srn, Ripolik fu Sranan), is a country on the northeastern Atlantic coast of South America. It is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the north ...
recognized the independence of Kosovo on July 8, 2016. On 27 October 2017, the Serbian Foreign Minister at the time, Ivica Dačić
Ivica Dačić ( sr-cyr, Ивица Дачић, ; born 1 January 1966) is a Serbian politician serving as first deputy prime minister of Serbia and minister of foreign affairs since 2022, roles which he previously served under governments of Mirk ...
, claimed that the recognition was withdrawn on October 27, 2017. Kosovo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied having received a verbal note on de-recognition and stated that Kosovo and Suriname maintained friendly relations. On June 10, 2022, Kosovo's Foreign Minister Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz (born 16 October 1971) is a Kosovan] politician. A member of the Guxo political list of the Vetëvendosje political party, she has served as Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kosovo), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Second Depu ...
met with her Surinamese counterpart Albert Ramdin
Albert Ramchand Ramdin (born 27 February 1958) is a Surinamese diplomat serving as Minister of Foreign Affairs (Suriname), Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet of Suriname, Santokhi cabinet since 16 July 2020. He is a member of the Progress ...
, where they talked about enhancing the cooperation between the two countries.
*On January 21, 2019, the Serbian Foreign Ministry claimed that Palau
Palau,, officially the Republic of Palau and historically ''Belau'', ''Palaos'' or ''Pelew'', is an island country and microstate in the western Pacific. The nation has approximately 340 islands and connects the western chain of the Caro ...
had withdrawn its recognition of Kosovo. However, on September 23, 2022, the President of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani
Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu (born 17 May 1982) is a Kosovar Albanian jurist and politician serving as the 5th and current President of Kosovo since 4 April 2021.
Born in former Yugoslavia and raised in the city then known as Titova Mitrovica, today the ...
, met with Palau's Foreign Minister Gustav Aitaro and both sides reconfirmed their bilateral relations and multilateral cooperation. In October 2022, Palau's Vice-President Uduch Sengebau Senior
J. Uduch Sengebau Senior (born 1965, Ngerbeched, Koror, Palau) is a Palauan lawyer, judge, and politician who has served as the Vice President of Palau since 2021. She was previously a member of the Senate of Palau from 2013 until she took offic ...
made an official visit to Kosovo, where she met with President Osmani, and the sides confirmed their willingness to further deepen their bilateral relations.
*Ghana recognised the independence of the Republic of Kosovo in 2012. Media reports in 2019 claimed that Ghana had withdrawn recognition of Kosovo. However the 2022 Kosovo Diplomatic List states that the Ghanaian embassy in Ankara, Turkey is accredited to the Republic of Kosovo with the Ganahian ambassador in Ankera being described as "Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary- Non resident in Pristina". The official website of the Kosovo foreign ministry lists Ghana as one of the countries that recognise the independence of Kosovo.
*The Union of the Comoros recognised the independence of Kosovo in May 2009. In November 2018 it was reported by Russian and Serbian sources that Comoros had withdrawn recognition of Kosovo following a meeting between its foreign minister and Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov. In February 2021, former President of Kosovo Behgjet Pacolli released a note verbale from the foreign ministry of Comoros stating that Comoros continues to recognise the independence of Kosovo. The official website of the Kosovo foreign ministry lists Comoros as one of the countries that recognise the independence of Kosovo.
*There were conflicting reports on whether Oman has recognised Kosovo, or de-recognised it.[Republic of Kosovo Established Diplomatic Relations with Sultanate of Oman](_blank)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, 4 February 2011[Recognition from the Sultanate of Oman is reconfirmed](_blank)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, 20 October 2011 In February 2011, Kosovo announced that it received a note from Oman which stated that it "will welcome Kosovo's membership to the United Nations, as well as to other international and regional organizations" and that the countries had established diplomatic relations. However, in September 2011 Kosovo's deputy Foreign Minister Petrit Selimi stated that "Oman never recognised us". Later that month, Kosovo's Ministry of Foreign Affairs announced that Oman's Foreign Minister Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah
Yusuf bin Alawi bin Abdullah ( ar, يوسف بن علوي بن عبد الله, born 1945) is an Omani politician. He was the Sultanate of Oman's Minister Responsible for Foreign Affairs. It is important to clarify that "Ministers in Responsibilit ...
had informed them of his country's recognition of Kosovo. Kosovo's ''chargé d'affaires
A ''chargé d'affaires'' (), plural ''chargés d'affaires'', often shortened to ''chargé'' (French) and sometimes in colloquial English to ''charge-D'', is a diplomat who serves as an embassy's chief of mission in the absence of the ambassador ...
'' in Saudi Arabia was quoted in 2012 as saying that Oman had not recognised Kosovo. In September 2022, the foreign ministry of Oman officially issued a press release explicitly stating that the Omani foreign minister had met with the president and foreign minister of the "''Republic of'' Kosovo", implying that Oman does indeed recognise the Republic of Kosovo as an independent state. The foreign ministry of Kosovo lists Oman as one of the countries that have formally recognised the independence of Kosovo
*Sierra Leone recognised the independence of Kosovo in 2008. In March 2020, Serbian media sources claimed that Sierra Leone had withdrawn recognition. However in November 2022, the Ambassador of Kosovo in the United Arab Emirates hosted his Sierra Leone counterpart and stated that Sierra Leone was one of the first countries to have recognised the independence of Kosovo. The foreign ministry of Kosovo lists Sierra Leone as one of the countries that have formally recognised the independence of Kosovo.
On 13 May 2022, Serbian Foreign Minister Nikola Selaković claimed that four new countries withdrew their recognition of Kosovo without mentioning their names. He further said that President of Serbia Aleksandar Vučić
Aleksandar Vučić ( sr-Cyrl, Александар Вучић, ; born 5 March 1970) is a Serbian politician serving as the president of Serbia since 2017, and as the president of the Serbian Progressive Party (SNS) since 2012.
Vučić served ...
will inform the public which these four states are once he deems it necessary. Director of the Serbian government Office for Kosovo and Metohija
The Office for Kosovo and Metohija ( sr, Канцеларија за Косово и Метохију, Kancelarija za Kosovo i Metohiju) is a coordination body of the Government of Serbia. It was constituted on 2 August 2012 after the dissolution ...
Petar Petković stated that 22 countries in total have withdrawn their recognition of Kosovo. Next day, Serbian daily Večernje novosti reported that these four states are from the Caribbean
The Caribbean (, ) ( es, El Caribe; french: la Caraïbe; ht, Karayib; nl, De Caraïben) is a region of the Americas that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands (some surrounded by the Caribbean Sea and some bordering both the Caribbean Se ...
and Africa
Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent, after Asia in both cases. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of Earth's total surface area ...
. However, Serbia's view has to be seen with caution, since Serbia doesn't mention any names and Kosovo's Foreign Minister Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz (born 16 October 1971) is a Kosovan] politician. A member of the Guxo political list of the Vetëvendosje political party, she has served as Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Kosovo), Minister of Foreign Affairs and Second Depu ...
says that Kosovo hasn't received any new diplomatic notes regarding recognition withdrawal. On August 27, Serbia's President claimed during a press conference that number of withdrawals of recognition has grown to 7 countries, and that the names of those countries will be published "when the time comes".
Entities that have not recognised Kosovo as an independent state
Diplomatic recognition
Diplomatic recognition in international law is a unilateral declarative political act of a state that acknowledges an act or status of another state or government in control of a state (may be also a recognized state). Recognition can be accorde ...
is an explicit, official, unilateral act in the foreign policy of states in regards to another party. Not having issued such a statement does not necessarily mean the state has objections to the existence, independence, sovereignty or government of the other party. Some states, by custom or policy, do not extend formal recognitions, on the grounds that a vote for membership in the UN or another organisation whose membership is limited to states is itself an act of recognition.
Member states of the United Nations
= A
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= E
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= G
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= I
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= J
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= K
=
= L
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= M
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= N
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= P
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= R
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Other states and entities
Positions taken by intergovernmental organisations
Intergovernmental organisation
An international organization or international organisation (see spelling differences), also known as an intergovernmental organization or an international institution, is a stable set of norms and rules meant to govern the behavior of states an ...
s do not themselves diplomatically recognise any state; their member states do so individually. However, depending on the intergovernmental organisation's rules of internal governance and the positions of their member states, they may express positive or negative opinions as to declarations of independence, or choose to offer or withhold membership to a partially recognised state.
Positions taken by other actors
Autonomous regions and secessionist movements
International non-governmental organisations
See also
* Foreign relations of Kosovo
Foreign relations of Kosovo are accomplished by efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo. Kosovo operates 33 embassies abroad and is host to 22 embassies in Pristina. Kosovo has membership in several international organisations.
On ...
* List of diplomatic missions in Kosovo
* List of diplomatic missions of Kosovo
This page is a list of diplomatic missions of Kosovo. Kosovo maintains 33 embassies abroad. Since Kosovo's declaration of independence, it has been recognised by 112 UN member states, as well as the Sovereign Military Order of Malta, the Cook Isl ...
* Membership of Kosovo in international organisations
* Membership of Kosovo in international sports federations
* Advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence
* Reactions to the International Court of Justice advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence
* Kosovo–Serbia relations
Kosovo unilaterally declared independence from Serbia in 2008, a move which Serbia rejects. Serbia does not recognize Kosovo as an independent state and continues to claim it as the Autonomous Province of Kosovo and Metohija. Initially there ...
* Belgrade–Pristina negotiations
The Belgrade–Pristina dialogue is a series of EU-facilitated talks between the governments of Serbia and Kosovo. Serbia claims Kosovo as its southern province under United Nations administration, and rejects its independence. Kosovo consider ...
* List of states with limited recognition
A number of polities have declared independence and sought diplomatic recognition from the international community as sovereign states, but have not been universally recognised as such. These entities often have ''de facto'' control of thei ...
Notes
References
Further reading
Ioannis Armakolas and James Ker-Lindsay. 2019. ''The Politics of Recognition and Engagement: EU Member State Relations with Kosovo''. Springer.
* Gëzim Visoka. 2018
Acting Like a State: Kosovo and the Everyday Making of Statehood
Routledge.
{{Use dmy dates, date=March 2021
Independence of Kosovo
Politics of Kosovo
Kosovo
Kosovo ( sq, Kosova or ; sr-Cyrl, Косово ), officially the Republic of Kosovo ( sq, Republika e Kosovës, links=no; sr, Република Косово, Republika Kosovo, links=no), is a partially recognised state in Southeast Euro ...
2000s in Kosovo
2010s in Kosovo
fr:Kosovo#Reconnaissance internationale