The State of Israel and the Muslim-majority nation of Kosovo established formal diplomatic relations Monday in a cyber ceremony held via Zoom due to the ongoing global coronavirus pandemic.
Kosovo also recognized Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, a major step that placed its government at odds with the entire rest of the Muslim world, and pledged to open an embassy in the eternal capital of the Jewish State.
Kosovar Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj Stublla and Israel’s Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi each signed the joint declaration establishing formal diplomatic ties during the ceremony.
The two sides also signed two memoranda of understanding (MOU) on diplomatic consultations and cooperation which were scanned and emailed during the ceremony.
In addition, Ashkenazi unveiled a plaque to be placed at the Kosovar Embassy in Jerusalem once it opens.
Kosovo to Recognize Israel, Serbia to Move Embassy to Jerusalem
Across the world in Kosovo’s capital, Pristina, Haradinaj-Stublla thanked Washington (and obliquely, former US President Donald Trump) for brokering the deal that brought Kosovo together with Israel, noting it “would not have been possible without the blessing and strong commitment of the United States.
“Today Israel becomes the 117th state to recognize Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state. Our people have friendly relations and from today we start relations as two states,” she said during the ceremony, which was attended by US Deputy Assistant Secretary Matthew Palmer.
It was Trump who gathered the leaders of Kosovo and Serbia at the White House last September for a summit to work towards normalization of ties between the two neighbors.
During that meeting the White House announced that Kosovo had agreed to recognize the State of Israel. Belgrade also spoke up during the same meeting, saying it too would move its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem; however, it has not yet begun to move toward that goal.
Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008.