Kosovo seeks Arab states' recognition

28/08/2008

Kosovo is seeking diplomatic recognition from Arab states, partly by making a case for cultural affinity.

By Blerta Foniqi-Kabashi for Southeast European Times in Pristina -- 28/08/08

Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu speaks at the "Kosovo and the Arab World" conference on Monday (August 25th). [Laura Hasani]

Kosovo leaders on Monday (August 25th) called on Arab countries to recognise Kosovo's independence during the "Kosovo and the Arab World" conference in Pristina. Participants included analysts from the Middle East and leaders of government and civil society in Kosovo. Forum 2015, a consortium of Kosovo NGOs, organised the event.

"Kosovo citizens thought that Arab states would take the lead among states in recognising Kosovo," said President Fatmir Sejdiu. Instead, the only Muslim-majority countries to recognise Kosovo so far are Turkey, Afghanistan, Albania, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Sierra Leone. The Islamic Conference has 57 member states.

Sejdiu emphasised the public's belief that Arab countries would recognise Kosovo's independence very soon, but journalist and politician Veton Surroi criticised the government for an alleged lack of initiative in foreign policy. "Kosovo has no real ... foreign policy and has no vision on this issue," he said.

"Kosovo is working intensively on its recognition process, and this conference helps Kosovo," said Foreign Minister Skender Hyseni, defending the government.

Lebanese scholar Ridwan al-Sayed, an adviser to his country's prime minister, said recognition of Kosovo by the Arab world would benefit the Middle East, because it would serve as an example of self-determination for the Palestinian people. "Recognition of the independence of Kosovo will [help strengthen] the cultural relationship between Kosovo and Arab states," said al-Sayed.

Conference participants generally played up the shared heritage of Kosovo and the Arab states as a reason to forge diplomatic ties. Besides their Muslim majorities, they share a"rich tradition ... the common heritage of the Ottoman Empire", said Surroi.

In an interview with the BBC Albanian service, al-Sayed attributed the delay in Arab recognition principally to two factors. First, "four or five" Arab states have good relations with Russia and Serbia. Second, those with large, potentially restive minority populations of Kurds, Berbers or Christians fear encouraging the future division of their own countries by recognising Kosovo.

But at the conference, he held out hope for Kosovo, saying Arab diplomatic recognition was a "matter of months".

Striking another encouraging note, Turkish Minister for International Co-operation Said Yazicioglu affirmed that Ankara is working to help Kosovo gain recognition by Arab states as soon as possible. "Turkey lobbies for the recognition of Kosovo," he said.