For the first time, a Spanish prime minister will be facing Kosovo prime minister in Slovenia

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will participate in the EU meeting with the Western Balkans in Brdo, Slovenia, where Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti will be present.

This is the first time Spain has sat face to face with Kosovo leaders at a European summit.

Sanchez's decision is different from that of his predecessor, Mariano Rajoy, who had left a similar summit in Bulgaria in 2018 to avoid meeting with Kosovo leader in the midst of the Catalan crisis.

However, it is not the first time Sanchez takes part in a European summit with Kosovo representatives. In 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the head of the Government of Spain participated in a videoconferencing with representatives of the Government of Kosovo.

Along with Cyprus, Greece, Romania and Slovakia, Spain is one of five European states that do not recognise Kosovo state, but it has supported the Kosovo-Serbia dialogue “in order for them to reach an agreement that is good for both sides and that respect international law at any time”.

Like last year, this summit will have no national flags or symbols. Furthermore, there will be no speculation about the position of Prime Minister Albin Kurti.

As Spanish medium “writes La Razon”, the government of Spain, is satisfied with the sensitivity the host country has shown for organising the meeting and guaranteeing the bias that was taken at the previous meeting with videoconference organised by Croatia.

“The strategy of all Spanish governments has been to avoid personal meetings with Kosovo leaders and diplomats at European and international meetings for fear that this could mean an actual recognition of the Balkan country. However, no one rules out that an unpleasant photograph can be saved along this” summit, the medium writes.

However, Sanchezi's participation in the summit together with the Kosovo leader does not mean in any way that Spain will change its stance or that it is considering removing its veto of recognition of Kosovo as an independent state.

The parties supporting Catalan independence in the past have seen Kosovo as a symbol of their aspirations, even because of the International Court of Justice's ruling that favour Kosovo independence.