Kosovo flag could be removed at Sofia Summit due to Spain

Spain, under the chairmanship of Mariano Rajoy, will not participate in any European summit or any other summit where Kosovo is present with any sign of its citizenship and is represented as entity itself.

This is the Spanish government's firm and unstable stance to avoid participating in the informal meeting on the situation in the Balkans, which is expected to be held in Bulgaria, which heads this six-month European Union, on May 17th in Sofia, reports “turkeygraph”.

Spain does not recognise Kosovo's independence.

This Spanish state stance is related to the unresolved situation with Catalonia.
Even the Spanish government spokesman ãoñigo Méndez de Vigo said this week after the government's meeting that Spain is not interested in recognising Kosovo's independence and that the country's prime minister, Rajoy, will not attend meetings where Kosovo is present.

“Ende do not know who will go and who will not, we do not know very well how it will be structured. We'll see what happens. The Government's stance on Kosovo is clear and steadfast, along with five other EU states (Greece, Romania, Cyprus and Slovakia), we do not recognise Kosovo's unilateral declaration of independence”, said Méndez de Vigo. We haven't done it in the past and we won't do it in the future”.

Rajoy, according to sources within the Spanish government, according to “turkeyletegraph”, will not go to the meeting in Sofia if Kosovo is in it.

This Spain's position is “etic” and <x2 make-up” and that it has nothing to do with the conflict situation in Catalonia directly.
Meanwhile, according to the English medium, “Express”, it is taught that Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy met with European Council President Donald Tusk yesterday, with the sole aim of convincing Spain to participate in the bloc's mid-May summit.
However, Rajoy has rejected Tusk's prayers and has vowed that Spain will boycott the summit between the European Union and the Western Balkans.

Sofia's summit is being held as a key meeting for the bloc's future, now that EU enlargement is key to the agenda.

Spain has said its boycott at the summit comes for the fact that Kosovo President Hashim Thaci will be present at this meeting.

Rajoy fears that he will be photographed alongside the leader of Kosovo, and that would then give legitimacy to the separatist leaders of Catalonia as the excuse for their independence.

However, leaders of Slovakia, Romania, Greece and Cyprus -- countries that have recognised Kosovo's independence -- are expected to participate in the summit.

Following Tusk's recent failure to convince the Spanish leader, EU diplomatic officials at all costs are looking for ways to ensure Spain's participation in the meeting, even considering the removal of Kosovo's flag from the event.
Spain's non-participation at the meeting would be an unprecedented blow to EU unity, just when the bloc is trying to consolidate after Brexit.
Bulgaria's EU presidency has confirmed that they expect “meeting between leaders of the 28 EU member states and 6 Western Balkan countries in Sofia”.