Kosovo-Saudi relations are bilateral diplomatic relations between the partly recognized state of the Republic of Kosovo and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia . Kosovo’s parliament unilaterally declared the republic’s independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. Saudi Arabia recognized the independence of Kosovo on April 20, 2009 [1] [2] .
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Saudi Arabia has a diplomatic mission in Pristina , Kosovo plans to open an embassy in Riyadh [3] . On December 22, 2009, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia Abdullah Abdulaziz (who is also the ambassador to Albania and the Republic of Macedonia ) presented his credentials to the President of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu [4] .
Content
History
The autonomous province of Kosovo and Metohija was an autonomous administrative-territorial unit within Serbia during the period of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia , and then the Federal Republic of Yugoslavia . During the Kosovo war, the Kosovo Liberation Army accepted foreign mercenaries, in particular, from Saudi Arabia [5] . During the period of the UN mission, the organizations of Saudi Arabia sought to establish cultural ties in the Republic of Kosovo [6] .
On May 25, 2009, at the 36th session of the Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) countries in Damascus, 57 member states adopted a resolution concerning the declaration of independence of Kosovo , supporting the role of the United Nations in Kosovo, reaffirming the “OIC’s strong interest in Muslims in the Balkans ”, which welcomed Kosovo’s cooperation with OIC’s economic and financial institutions and encouraged the international community to continue to contribute to the development of Kosovo’s OMIK [7] . Saudi Arabia was one of the main Islamic states that supported the resolution. It was reported that an earlier draft resolution (submitted by Saudi Arabia) called for the recognition of the Republic of Kosovo as Islamic countries , but was rejected by some member states of the organization, including Syria , Egypt and Azerbaijan [8] .
Saudi Arabia supported the Republic of Kosovo at the meetings of the UN International Court of Justice on the legality of the declaration of independence of Kosovo in 2009 [9] .
Islamism
As in Saudi Arabia, the Muslim population prevails in Kosovo [10] . The traditional direction of Islam in Kosovo is the hanafi law school , which is also called “liberal” and “moderate” [10] . After the end of the Kosovo War , radicalization of Islam intensified in the region. Wahhabism , which dominates Saudi Arabia, is also entrenched in Kosovo thanks to Saudi diplomacy [10] . Saudi Arabia financed the construction of new mosques in the region, while imams appeared in Kosovo at the end of 1999 [10] .
See also
- Foreign Policy of the Republic of Kosovo
- Saudi Arabian Foreign Policy
Notes
- "Saudi Arabia recognizes Kosovo" . New Kosova Report (April 20, 2009).
- ↑ Saudi Arabia announces recognition of the Republic of Kosovo . Saudi Press Agency (April 20, 2009).
- ↑ "Kosovo plans Riyadh embassy" . Arab News (April 23, 2009).
- ↑ "To recognize Kosovo - ambassador" . Equity (December 22, 2009).
- ↑ Pike, John. "Kosovo Liberation Army [KLA "] . Globalsecurity.org (1999).
- ↑ Lyubov Grigorova Mincheva; Ted Robert Gurr. Crime-Terror Alliances and the State: Ethnonationalist and Islamist Challenges to Regional Security . - Routledge , 2013. - p. 34. - 234 p. - ISBN 978-1-135-13210-1 .
- ↑ Resolution no. 14/36-POL on the Situation in Kosovo . Organization of Islamic Cooperation (May 25, 2009).
- Sau "Saudi Kosovo proposal fails at OIC" . B92 (May 24, 2009).
- ↑ "ICJ Sets Agenda for Kosovo Hearing" . Balkan Insight (October 8, 2009).
- ↑ 1 2 3 4 Gall, Carlotta. "How Kosovo Was Turned Into Fertile Ground for ISIS" . New York Times (May 21, 2016).