Unrecognised Kosovo opens office in India

Sandeep Dikshit

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New Delhi, November 25

In a shift in policy, India permitted the India-Kosovo Commercial Economic Office to open an office here, but the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said “it is reiterated that our position on Kosovo is well known, and there is no change in it”.

The opening of the office is significant because India does not recognise Kosovo, though it has an independent functioning government like Taiwan.

In the aftermath of Yugoslavia’s dissolution, the West helped 92 per cent of ethnic Albanians to gain independence from Serbia, an ally of Russia. Since the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence, the MEA’s approach is that the recognition of Kosovo “can set a very dangerous precedent for similar cases around the world”.

Recently, Kosovo president Vjosa Osmani renewed his appeal to India to recognise the “sovereign territory of Kosovo”.

Due to India’s non-recognition, the nearest embassy of Kosovo is in Dhaka and its ambassador to Bangladesh Guner Ureya sent a welcome message on the low-key opening on November 17.

At the same time, Serbian ambassador Sinisa Pavic welcomed the MEA’s statement, saying that India’s position on Kosovo has not changed. “It is the newest confirmation of historical friendship and actual partnership between Serbia and India,” read a tweet from the Serbian embassy.

According to WikiLeaks, the US and European countries mounted pressure on India in recognising Kosovo’s independence. India’s default position is non-recognition due to its close ties with Russia and the prospect that it will be caught in a bind over J&K. The office may not have the same status as the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre has.