The Council of Albanian Ambassadors (CAA) expresses its regret and disappointment over the statement made by the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelensky, during his visit to Belgrade, in which he confirmed that Ukraine’s position on Kosova’s independence remains unchanged.
CAA considers such a statement particularly inappropriate when made in Belgrade, before a Serbian leadership that continues to maintain close relations with the Russian Federation and President Vladimir Putin. Serbia remains one of the few European countries that has not aligned itself with the European Union’s sanctions against Russia, despite its aggression against Ukraine.
This position is even more concerning at a time when unacceptable rhetoric towards the Republic of Kosova continues to emanate from Belgrade, including President Vučić’s recent statements regarding the Ibër River. Any threat or proposal to interfere with transboundary water resources in a manner that could affect water supplies, agriculture, or energy production in Kosovo would run counter to the principles of good-neighborly relations and international law.
CAA underlines that no equivalence can be drawn between the case of Kosova and Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.
Kosova’s independence is the outcome of a distinct historical and political process following the dissolution of the former Yugoslavia, years of repression and conflict, international intervention, and a prolonged period of administration by the United Nations.
It cannot be compared with the annexation of Crimea or Russia’s attempts to annex Ukrainian territories through military force.
In its Advisory Opinion of 22 July 2010, the International Court of Justice concluded that Kosova’s declaration of independence did not violate general international law, United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244, or the Constitutional Framework then in force. Attempts to invoke Kosova as a precedent to justify aggression and the annexation of sovereign territories are therefore legally and politically unfounded and serve only Moscow’s narrative.
Albania, Kosova, and Albanians more broadly have condemned Russian aggression from the outset and have stood unequivocally with Ukraine in defense of its sovereignty and territorial integrity. KASH believes that this principled solidarity with the Ukrainian people should and will continue. It is precisely for this reason that statements of this nature made in Belgrade cause legitimate disappointment.
CAA expresses the hope that Ukraine will reconsider its position towards the Republic of Kosova at the earliest opportunity. Recognition of Kosova would be not only an act of friendship towards a people who have stood unequivocally with Ukraine, but also a decision consistent with the political and legal realities that have emerged in Southeast Europe.
The Republic of Kosova is today an irreversible political and international reality. Its consolidation has contributed to peace, security, stability, and the Euro-Atlantic perspective of the Western Balkans.
