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| Constitution and law |
Since Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia (enacted on 17 February 2008), international recognition of Kosovo has been mixed, and the international community continues to be divided on the issue. The Republic of Kosovo is member of some international intergovernmental and international non-governmental organisations.
The Republic of Kosovo, as an independent state, is a member of 10 and an observer of 1 international intergovernmental organization. The Republic of Kosovo has formally applied for membership in 4 more international intergovernmental organizations.
Kosovo, under the designation United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK), or Kosovo*, is a member of 6 and an observer of 1 international intergovernmental organizations.
Kosovo is a full member of two United Nations specialized agencies, the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank.
Intergovernmental organisations do not themselves diplomatically recognise any state; their member states do so individually. However, depending on the intergovernmental organisation's rules of internal governance and the positions of their member states, they may express positive or negative opinions as to declarations of independence, or choose to offer or withhold membership to a partially recognised state.
| International Organisation | Political Entity Represented | Application date | Admission date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| During United Nations administration | ||||
| Southeast European Cooperative Initiative (SECI) | UNMIK | [ when? ] | Observer [1] | |
| South East Europe Transport Observatory (SEETO) | Kosovo* [2] [3] | 11 June 2004 [4] | Member | |
| Energy Community | Kosovo* [5] [6] | 1 July 2006 | Member | |
| European Common Aviation Area (ECAA) | UNMIK | 30 November 2006 | Member | |
| Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) | UNMIK | 6 April 2006 | 26 July 2007 [7] | Member |
| After the Declaration of Independence | ||||
| International Monetary Fund (IMF) | Republic of Kosovo | 10 July 2008 [8] | 29 June 2009 [9] | Member |
| World Bank (WB) | Republic of Kosovo | 10 July 2008 [10] | 29 June 2009 [11] | Member |
| Adriatic Charter | Kosovo [12] | 29 March 2012 [13] | 2012 [14] [15] [16] | Observer |
| European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (ERBD) | Republic of Kosovo [17] | 2010 or 2009 [18] [ when? ] | 17 December 2012 [19] | Member |
| Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) [20] | Kosovo* [21] [22] [23] | 23 February 2013 [24] | Member [25] | |
| Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) | Republic of Kosovo | 14 June 2013 [26] | Member | |
| Venice Commission | Republic of Kosovo | 13 June 2014 [27] | Member | |
| Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) | Republic of Kosovo [28] | 29 November 2014 [29] | Observer | |
| South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) | Kosovo* [30] | 23 May 2015 [31] | Member | |
| Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) | Kosovo* | 28 January 2016 [32] | Observer | |
| Egmont Group of Financial Intelligence Units | Republic of Kosovo | 1 February 2017 [33] | Member | |
| World Customs Organization (WCO) | Republic of Kosovo | 3 March 2017 [34] | Member | |
| Permanent Court of Arbitration (PCA) | Republic of Kosovo | 6 November 2015 [35] | 5 January 2016 [36] [37] | Member |
| European Qualifications Framework Advisory Group (EQF) | Republic of Kosovo | 18 December 2015 [38] [39] [40] | Member | |
| International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) | Republic of Kosovo | 21 February 2017 [41] | Member | |
| Bureau of International Expositions (BIE) | Republic of Kosovo | 18 March 2017 [42] | Member | |
| Assemblée parlementaire de la francophonie (APF) | Republic of Kosovo | 9 July 2018 [43] [44] | Observer | |
| Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) | Republic of Kosovo | 9 October 2018 [45] | 11 October 2018 [46] | Associate |
| European Political Community (EPC) | Kosovo* | 6 October 2022 [47] | Member | |
| International Commission on Missing Persons | Republic of Kosovo | 19 July 2023 [48] [49] | Member | |
| NATO Parliamentary Assembly | Kosovo | 24 March 2024 [50] | Associate | |
Kosovo has been a member of the Council of Europe's Venice Commission since 2014. [51] The Assembly of Kosovo was invited to take part in the work of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe and its committees as an observer in 2016. [52] In February 2017, Kosovo's President, Hashim Thaçi, said that Kosovo will apply for membership in the Council of Europe. [53] Kosovo formally applied for membership of the Council of Europe in May 2022. [54] On 24 April 2023, Kosovo's application was approved by more than the 2/3 threshold of member states required in the Committee of Ministers and was referred to the Parliamentary Assembly for its consideration. [55] [56] Kosovo's application was approved by the Committee on Political Affairs and Democracy on 27 March 2024. [57] [58] On 16 April 2024, the Parliamentary Assembly voted in favour of Kosovo's membership, with 131 votes in favour, 29 against and 11 abstentions. [59] [60]
Kosovo formally applied for European Union candidate status on 15 December 2022. [61]
| International Organisation | Political Entity Represented | Application date |
|---|---|---|
| Council of Bureaux (CoBx) | Republic of Kosovo | 2011 [62] |
| NATO Partnership for Peace (PfP) | Republic of Kosovo | July 2012 [63] |
| International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) | Republic of Kosovo | April 2015 [64] |
| Council of Europe (CoE) | Kosovo [65] | 12 May 2022 [66] |
| European Union (EU) | Republic of Kosovo | 15 December 2022 [67] [68] |
| International organisation | Position | Admission date | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| International Road and Transport Union (IRU) | Kosovo's road transport association [69] [70] become member of IRU on 29 July 2008. [71] Kosovo officially became the 181st member of the IRU in May 2009. [72] | 29 July 2008 | Member |
| International Bar Association (IBA) | Kosovo officially became a member of the IBA on 28 May 2009. [73] [74] | 28 May 2009 | Member |
| International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) | Kosovo Amateur Radio Association (Shoqata e Radio Amatoreve te Kosovës; SHRAK) was proposed for IARU membership in 2014. SHRAK joined to the IARU on 11 December 2015. [75] | 11 December 2015 | Member |
| European Federation of Journalists (EFJ) | Association of Journalists of Kosovo officially became a member of the EFJ on 1 January 2016. [76] | 1 January 2016 | Member |
| International Consumer Protection and Enforcement Network (ICPEN) | Kosovo officially became a member of the ICPEN in April 2016. [77] [78] | April 2016 | Member |
| Association of Central and Eastern European Election Officials (ACEEEO) | On 23 September 2016, the Central Election Commission of the Republic of Kosovo became member of ACEEEO. [79] [80] | 23 September 2016 | Member |
| European Federation of Psychiatric Trainees (EFPT) | Kosovo Psychiatrists Association is a full member of EFPT as of January 18, 2017. [81] | January 18, 2017 | Member |
| World Economic Forum (WEF) | Kosovo participates in the World Economic Forum under its own name and flag. [82] [83] | Member | |
| Munich Security Conference | Kosovo's delegates are listed as representing the Republic of Kosovo. [84] [85] | Participant | |
| Euro Geo Surveys | The Geological Survey of Kosovo is a full member of Euro Geo Surveys (EGS) [86] and Kosovo is represented as a country on EGS' European Geological Data Infrastructure (EGDI) maps. [87] | Member |
| Conventions, Treaties and Agreements | Note | Signed |
|---|---|---|
| Stabilisation and Association Process (SAA) | SAA negotiations start on 28 October 2013. Kosovo's SAA was the first signed after the entry into force of the Lisbon treaty, which conferred a legal personality to the EU. As a result, unlike previous SAAs Kosovo's is exclusively between it and the EU and Euratom, and the member states are not parties independently. SAA entry into force on 1 April 2016. | Yes |
| Apostille Convention | On 8 November 2016, the Republic of Kosovo has received a formal confirmation on the acceptance of deposition of acts o admission to the Convention Abolishing the Requirement of Legislation for Foreign Public Documents, or known also as Apostille Convention. In accordance with Article 12 of it, Apostille Convention, it is expected to enter into force on 14 June 2016. [88] [89] | Yes |
| International treaty or convention | Political Entity Represented | Signature | Ratification |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free Trade Agreement with Albania | UNMIK | 7 July 2003 [90] | 1 October 2003 [91] |
| Free Trade Agreement with North Macedonia | UNMIK | 2 February 2006 [91] | |
| Free Trade Agreement with Croatia | UNMIK | 28 September 2006 [91] | 1 November 2006 [91] [92] |
| Free Trade Agreement with Bosnia and Herzegovina | UNMIK | 19 October 2006 [91] | 1 December 2006 [91] [92] |
| EU Pan-EURO-MED RoO convention [93] | Kosovo under UNSCR 1244 | ||
| Free Trade Agreement with Turkey | Kosovo | 27 September 2013 | 1 September 2019 [94] |
| Stabilisation and Association Agreement (SAA) with the EU | Kosovo | 22 October 2015 [95] | 1 April 2016 |
| UK/Kosovo: Partnership, Trade and Cooperation Agreement | Kosovo | 20 December 2019 | |
| EU Schengen Area non-visa agreement [96] | Kosovo | 26 April 2023 [97] | 1 January 2024 |
| 13 agreements and declarations with Albania | Kosovo | 6 July 2023 [98] | |
In 2012, according to the Mena Report Kosovo has applied to become a member of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), but the government of Kosovo neither confirm nor deny this news. [99] Ekmeleddin İhsanoğlu, Secretary-General of the OIC invited Kosovo to become a full member of the OIC.[ citation needed ]
In 2013, Enver Hoxhaj, Kosovo's Minister of Foreign Affairs, has stated that the country is considering making applications for membership in three United Nations specialized agencies in the first half of 2013, [100] and that an application for membership of the Council of Europe in 2014 is being prepared. [101] In 2014, Kosovo's Deputy Prime and Minister of Foreign Affairs, Hashim Thaçi, reiterated the state's desire to join in December 2014. [102] Kosovo's Foreign Minister Hoxhaj has said that Kosovo's goal was to be a full UN member state by 2020 and NATO member state by 2022. [103] [104]
In 2015, Kosovo's Ministry of Trade and Industry is also preparing a membership application for the World Trade Organization. [105] Joining NATO's Partnership for Peace is a priority of the government. [106]
In 2016, Albanian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ditmir Bushati, said that Kosovo will be member of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE). [107] [108]
| International organisation | Note | Application date |
|---|---|---|
| United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) | In July 2015, Kosovo applied for membership in UNESCO. UNESCO Executive Board members have voted in favor of the Albanian initiative to recommend Kosovo to be allowed to join UNESCO, 27 members voted in favor, 14 voted against, and 14 abstained. On 9 November 2015, UNESCO General Assembly voted Kosovo application. 142 members voted on the proposal: 92 in favor, 50 against, while 29 abstained. Kosovo's bid required 95 votes (2/3 of votes) in favor to be successful. [109] | July 2015 |
The Central European Free Trade Agreement (CEFTA) is an international trade agreement between countries mostly located in Southeastern Europe. Founded by representatives of Poland, Hungary and Czechoslovakia, CEFTA in 2006 expanded to Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Moldova, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia and Kosovo.
The Democratic Party of Kosovo is one of the largest political parties in Kosovo. It was originally a social-democratic party coming out of the demilitarised Kosovo Liberation Army after the Kosovo War, with most of the leadership coming from Albanian nationalists and former members of the People's Movement of Kosovo. However, during its congress in January 2013, it positioned itself as a centre-right party and is considered to be a conservative party. The Democratic Party of Kosovo since July 2021 is headed by Memli Krasniqi, the former Vice –President of the Assembly of Kosovo, Minister of Agriculture and Minister of Culture, Youth and Sports.
The politics of Kosovo takes place in a framework of a multi-party parliamentary representative democratic republic, whereby the President (Presidenti) is the head of state and the Prime Minister (Kryeministri) the head of government. Parliamentary elections are held every four years, the most recent in 2021.
Lëvizja Vetëvendosje (LVV) is a left-leaning social democratic political party in Kosovo. It is a member of the Progressive Alliance, and an observer in the Party of European Socialists, and the Socialist International.
Hashim Thaçi is a Kosovar Albanian politician who was the president of Kosovo from April 2016 until his resignation on 5 November 2020 to face a war crimes tribunal on charges of crimes against humanity. He was the first prime minister of Kosovo and the Foreign minister and deputy prime minister in the new cabinet led by Isa Mustafa, which assumed office on 12 December 2014.
Serbian passport is the primary document of international travel issued to nationals of Serbia. Passports are issued and renewed by the Serbian Police on behalf of the Ministry of Internal Affairs or, if the citizen resides abroad, by the Serbian diplomatic missions. Besides serving as proof of identity and of citizenship, it facilitates the process of securing assistance from Serbian consular officials abroad, if needed.
Foreign relations of Kosovo are accomplished by efforts of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo. Kosovo operates 33 embassies abroad and is host to 22 embassies in Pristina. Kosovo has membership in several international organisations.
International governments are divided on the issue of recognition of the independence of Kosovo from Serbia, which was declared in 2008. The Government of Serbia does not diplomatically recognise Kosovo as a sovereign state, although the two countries have enjoyed normalised economic relations since 2020 and have agreed not to try to interfere with the other's accession to the European Union.
The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to Kosovo, a country in the Southeastern Europe.
Japan–Kosovo relations are foreign relations between Japan and Kosovo. Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008, and Japan recognized it on March 18, 2008. According to the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Japan and Kosovo established diplomatic relations on February 25, 2009.
The Council of Europe was founded on 5 May 1949 by ten western and northern European states, with Greece joining three months later, and Iceland, Turkey and West Germany joining the next year. It now has 46 member states, with Montenegro being the latest to join.
Egyptian–Kosovan relations are foreign relations between Egypt and Kosovo.
Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia was enacted on Sunday, 17 February 2008 by a unanimous vote of the Assembly of Kosovo. All 11 representatives of the Serb minority boycotted the proceedings. International reaction was mixed, and the international community continues to be divided on the issue of the international recognition of Kosovo. Slovakia's reaction to the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence is one of non-recognition, but it has given indications that its stance could change in the future.
Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia was enacted on Sunday, 17 February 2008 by a unanimous vote of the Assembly of Kosovo. All 11 representatives of the Serb minority boycotted the proceedings. International reaction was mixed, and the global community continues to be divided on the issue of the international recognition of Kosovo. Greece's reaction to the 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence in general is neutral.
Kosovo–Thailand relations are foreign relations between the Republic of Kosovo and the Kingdom of Thailand. Thailand recognised the Republic of Kosovo as independent state on 24 September 2013.
United Nations Administered Kosovo refers to the period between 1999 and 2008 when the United Nations Interim Administration Mission in Kosovo was directly responsible for the governance of Kosovo. This period began on 10 June 1999 with the passing of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1244 and effectively ended on 17 February 2008 with the unilateral declaration of independence of Kosovo.
Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia was enacted on Sunday, 17 February 2008 by a unanimous vote of the Assembly of Kosovo. All 11 representatives of the Serb minority boycotted the proceedings. International reaction was mixed, and the world community continues to be divided on the issue of the international recognition of Kosovo. Nigeria's position has been somewhat mixed.
Kosovar–South Sudanese relations are foreign relations between South Sudan and Kosovo.
On July 10, 2008, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) received an application for admission to membership in the IMF from the Republic of Kosovo.
The Republic of Kosovo became the 186th member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) today when President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi signed the IMF's original Articles of Agreement at a ceremony in Washington D.C.
In the letter dated July 10, 2008, Kosovo applied for membership in the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the International Development Association, the International Finance Corporation, the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency, and the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes.
The Republic of Kosovo became the newest member of the five World Bank Group institutions today, when Kosovar President Fatmir Sejdiu and Prime Minister Hashim Thaçi signed the Articles of Agreement of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD).
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