Spanish newspaper reports Spain normalising stance on Kosovo

The Spanish government is not open to recognition of Kosovo, but is advancing to a gradual normalisation in which other countries that do not recognise Kosovo have already worked, writes. Journal Spanish El Confidencial.

In May 2018, Mariano Rajoy, who had only a few days left as prime minister of Spain, even though he did not know that, was walking through Sofia, where a Balkan summit was being held. He had attended the leaders' dinner the day before, but had missed meeting with Balkan partners. Pablo García-Berdoy, Spain's permanent ambassador to the European Union, took his place. The reason for his absence was that Kosovo's representatives were on the same table.

“Now, three years later, Pedro Sánchez, prime minister of Spain, will sit at the same table as Kosovo leader Prime Minister Albin Kurti. Without state symbols and details that can generate the slightest suspicion about the Spanish position, but taking an important step. Diplomatic sources insist there is no change of attitude, that it is a normalisation of the situation. But this normality is already a change in Spanish position in this matter”, writes the Spanish newspaper.

In 2008 Kosovo declared its independence a decade after the 1998-1999 war. In March 2011, the European Union launched a dialogue between Kosovo and Serbia with the goal of reaching a political agreement between the parties leading to Kosovo's recognition.

Spain is not the only European country that does not recognise Kosovo's independence: Slovakia, Greece, Romania and Cyprus are other member states that do not recognise it. However, these countries have a somewhat calmer relationship with Kosovo even without knowing it.

But as this newspaper writes, <x0-sources now insist on gradual normalisation on different fronts, citing matches between the Spanish and Kosovo's team as an example. ”