Peace over number of Kosovo recognitions

On the Kosovo Government Foreign Affairs Ministry website, 114 recognitions, including the Republic of Suriname, are found.

The number of these recognitions remains unclear even for members of the Parliament's Foreign Affairs Commission in the Kosovo Assembly.

The deputy chairman of this commission, Time Kadriy, deputy of the Kosovo Parliament from the Alliance for the Future of Kosovo, had this within the ruling coalition, speaking of Radio Free Europe, explains that even in the legislature's previous mandate it has been sought by the previous executive for the number of Kosovo recognitions to become public.

According to her, Kosovo Assembly deputies have the right to seek an answer about the exact number of recognitions by the Minister of Internal Affairs. But, for now, as she says, the number of recognitions is believed to be the one on the list of recognitions published on the country's Foreign Ministry website.

“We can't say we've known a state if it hasn't known us. This (the dating list) has served us, and we know that everything has been made public. However, we can also officially ask that we know exactly what the number of recognitions is, in order to keep in mind which countries we should arrange to hold meetings and lobby for new recognitions of Kosovo”, the deputy Kadrijaj has indicated.

The other member of the Parliamentary Commission for Foreign Affairs, Dukagjin Gorani, MP from the ranks of the Vetevendosje Movement, this opposition party, tells Radio Free Europe that the strong desire for Kosovo to have as much recognition as possible has produced a situation of formal and technical uncertainty.

So there is a belief that the number of recognitions does not only mean states that have formalized recognition, but also states that have been in the process of formalising or that have eventually expressed the possibility of recognition in the future. However, because of much desire, as it seems, and perhaps without responsibility, the Kosovo Foreign Ministry (on the mandates) -- that is, the ministers appointed, all the time, have not clarified which recognitions are formalised and which are under way” -- the MP Gorani points out.

On the other hand, political affairs connoisseur Artan Mujaziri tells Radio Free Europe that the issue of Kosovo recognitions has so far served as a kind of campaign for failures in the country's foreign policy. Increasing the number of recognitions or their impasse, according to him, has not brought any direct impact on Kosovo's performance in international politics.

The issue of recognition has become a political game, and for this reason it is completely tragic that the exact number of states that have recognised Kosovo is not known, which is very easy to verify. Only an official communication of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo with the ministry of relevant State Foreign Affairs is enough to be identified with official accuracy”, Mihaxhiri said.

On the other hand, Kosovo Government Foreign Ministry officials have not been able to clarify whether the number of countries, which figures on the list of countries that have recognised Kosovo, which has been published on the ministry's website.

MPs, members of the parliamentary foreign affairs commission, have stressed that over the coming days, MPs should invite Foreign Affairs Minister Behgjet Pacolli and seek the accuracy of the number of recognitions, as well as the clarification and explanation of the situation created concerning Suriname's alleged withdrawal.