Israel and Muslim-majority Kosovo to formally establish ties Feb. 1

By Associated Press

Kosovo’s Foreign Minister on Friday said a formal ceremony will be held next week to establish diplomatic ties with Israel, a “historic moment” in the Balkan country’s history.

Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla said she and her Israeli counterpart Gabriel Ashkenazi would hold a virtual ceremony on Feb. 1.

“Recognition by Israel is one of the greatest achievements for Kosovo, coming at a key moment for us, thanks to the United States of America, our common and eternal ally,” she said.

The decision on mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel was achieved last September at a summit of Kosovo-Serbia leaders at the White House in the presence of then-President Donald Trum At the meeting Belgrade also agreed to move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem, something it hasn’t done so far.

The Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel’s capital in late 2017 and moved the U.S. embassy there in May 2018.

Washington has encouraged other countries to do the same, raising the ire of the Palestinians and many in Europe who deny that the Jewish people’s “eternal capital” is also the modern State of Israel’s seat of government.

Kosovo’s Parliament declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nine years after NATO conducted a 78-day airstrike campaign against Serbia to stop a bloody crackdown against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

Most Western nations have recognized Kosovo’s independence, but Serbia and its allies Russia and China have not.

The ongoing deadlock and Serbia’s unwillingness to recognize Kosovo have kept tensions simmering and prevented full stabilization of the Balkan region after the bloody wars of the 1990s.