His Majesty's Ambassador to the Republic of Kosovo is the United Kingdom's foremost diplomatic representative in the Republic of Kosovo, and is in charge of the British mission in Pristina.
The Republic of Kosovo declared its independence on 17 February 2008. The United Kingdom recognised the Republic of Kosovo as an independent state the following day [1] and Mr David Blunt, who had been in Pristina since 2006 as head of the British office, was appointed the first ambassador. [2]
The diplomatic foreign relations of the United Kingdom are conducted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, headed by the Foreign Secretary. The prime minister and numerous other agencies play a role in setting policy, and many institutions and businesses have a voice and a role.
The 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence, which proclaimed the Republic of Kosovo to be a state independent from Serbia, was adopted at a meeting held on 17 February 2008 by 109 out of the 120 members of the Assembly of Kosovo, including the Prime Minister of Kosovo, Hashim Thaçi, and by the President of Kosovo, Fatmir Sejdiu. It was the second declaration of independence by Kosovo's Albanian-majority political institutions; the first was proclaimed on 7 September 1990.
Kosovo was officially recognized as a country by the United States on February 18, 2008, one day after Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia.
Kosovo–United Kingdom relations are foreign relations between the Republic of Kosovo and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. When Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on 17 February 2008, the United Kingdom became one of the first countries to announce the official recognition of a sovereign Kosovo on 18 February 2008. The United Kingdom has had an embassy in Pristina since 5 March 2008. Kosovo has had an embassy in London since 1 October 2008. The two countries have very good and friendly relations.
Foreign relations exist between Austria and the United Kingdom, and have been positive and friendly since Austrian independence in 1955. Both nations are members of the Council of Europe. The two nations share close economic and technological ties, and cooperate in a variety of fields, particularly when the UK was a member of the European Union and also more recently in condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine. They have also agreed to cooperate on mutual interests over matters involving security in the Balkans, including regarding Kosovo, Albania and Serbia and furthermore to work together on countering subversive Russian activity in the region.
Ian Cameron Cliff is a British diplomat who has been Ambassador to Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Sudan, the OSCE and Kosovo, as well as Chargé d'Affaires in Croatia.
The British Embassy in Pristina is the United Kingdom's diplomatic mission to Kosovo. It is located at 177 Lidhja e Pejës, Pristina, Kosovo. The embassy also represents the British Overseas Territories in Kosovo.