Israel and the Balkan republic of Kosovo established diplomatic relations today. Kosovo, whose people are mostly Muslim, recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, in contrast to the rest of the Islamic world.
The Foreign Ministers of Israel and Kosovo held ceremonies today in Jerusalem and Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, respectively, via the videoconferencing software Zoom. The two signed a joint declaration on the establishment of diplomatic relations.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said that he had agreed to Kosovo’s “official request to open an embassy in Jerusalem”.
According to The Times of Israel, this is the first Time Israel has established relations with another country by video.
In the future, Kosovo will open an embassy in Jerusalem, becoming the third country to do so after the United States and Guatemala. Countries such as Honduras have also pledged to move their embassies from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
Most Western countries have recognized Kosovo’s independence, but Serbia, Russia, and China have not.
Previously, Kosovo did not recognize Israel, not because the majority of Muslims in the country opposed it, but because Israel has not recognized Kosovo either. The decision for mutual recognition was reached at a White House summit last September in the presence of former U.S. President Donald Trump.
Israel also established diplomatic relations with several Arab countries last year under Trump’s good offices, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Morocco, Sudan and others.
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