Kosovo–Saudi Arabia relations

Kosovan–Saudi Arabian relations

Kosovo	Saudi Arabia

Kosovo–Saudi Arabia relations are foreign relations between the Republic of Kosovo and Saudi Arabia.

General Relations

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008 and Saudi Arabia recognised it on 20 April 2009. Saudi Arabia has a Liaison Office in Pristina and Kosovo planned to open an embassy in Riyadh later. Like Saudi Arabia, Kosovo has a mainly Muslim population. On 22 December 2009, Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Abdulaziz presented his credentials to Kosovar President Fatmir Sejdiu. Abdullah Abdulaziz is also Ambassador to Albania and to the Republic of Macedonia.

36th OIC session

On 25 May 2009, at the Organisation of the Islamic Conference's 36th session of the Council of Foreign Ministers in Damascus, the 57 member states adopted a resolution that noted Kosovo's declaration of independence, upheld the role of the United Nations in Kosovo, reaffirmed the strong interest of the OIC regarding Muslims in the Balkans, welcomed the co-operation of Kosovo with the OIC Economic and Financial institutions, and called on the international community to continue contributing to the fostering of Kosovo's economy. Saudi Arabia was one of the main Islamic states backing this resolution and it has been reported that an earlier draft of the resolution (tabled by Saudi Arabia) had called for recognition of Kosovo by Islamic countries, but this was rejected by some member states, including Syria, Egypt and Azerbaijan.

ICJ

Main article: International Court of Justice advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence

Saudi Arabia spoke in support of Kosovo at the International Court of Justice's oral debate on the legality of Kosovo's independence.

See also

• Foreign relations of Kosovo
• Foreign relations of Saudi Arabia

Notes and references

Notes:

a.

^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Serbia and the self-proclaimed Republic of Kosovo. The latter declared independence on 17 February 2008, but Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. Kosovo's independence has been recognised by 101 out of 193 United Nations member states.

References: