Kosovo has an embassy in Jerusalem.
Kosovo, which became embroiled in war with Serbia in the 1990s, declared independence in 2008 and has since worked hard to gain recognition from all countries around the world. The recognition by Israel is a major victory for Kosovo.
A statement from Kosovo’s foreign ministry said the new Jerusalem embassy opened Sunday in a brief ceremony, with the official operation of the embassy beginning after the Kosovo flag was raised in front of it.
Serbia’s repeated refusal to recognize the independence of Kosovo, formerly an internal province, has continued to keep Kosovo out of the United Nations, despite recognition by most Western countries, by Russia and China, the Serb nation’s main allies.
Israel was a key country in refusing to recognize Kosovo until the two sides agreed to establish diplomatic relations in February of this year. Kosovo thus promised to follow in the footsteps of former U.S. President Donald Trump and agreed to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
Representatives of Serbia and Kosovo signed a declaration last September, witnessed by Trump, agreeing to normalize their economic relations and ease their years of hostility. In addition, Serbia promised to transfer the Israeli embassy to Jerusalem, and Kosovo would also officially recognize Israel.
The decision announced by Kosovo at the Time sparked criticism not only from Muslim-majority countries such as Turkey, but also from European countries. The status of Jerusalem remains one of the biggest flashpoints in the long-running conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. Palestine claims East Jerusalem as the capital of a future state, and most countries have their embassies in Israel in Tel Aviv.
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