INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
KATHMANDU, DECEMBER 23Ambassador of Republic of Kosovo to Bangladesh Guner Ureya seeks Nepal's recognition of his
The Himalayan Times interviewed Ureya via email about his country's efforts to seek recognition from world communities and the prospects of
enhancement of relations between Nepal and Kosovo
Excerpts:Nepal does not recognise your country as a sovereign and independent state
What is your message to the government and people of Nepal?
Unfortunately, Nepal still has not officially recognised the
independence of the Republic of Kosovo
Many other countries had not recognised us before as well, but over time they realised that recognising the Republic of Kosovo was the right
Recognition of Kosovo is important for peace and stability in the Balkan Peninsula, in other words, in Southeast Europe
The independence of the Republic of Kosovo has corrected historical mistakes, ended Serbian occupation and brought peace and freedom to the
people.The independence of the Republic of Kosovo enabled the people of Kosovo to achieve great success in a short period of 14 years
Therefore, as a peace-loving country, it is very important for Nepal and the Nepalese people to recognise Kosovo.To give an example, the
People's Republic of Bangladesh, a South Asian country, recognised us only a few years ago and now we have a very close relationship
We want to maintain similar relations with Nepal as well
It is not enough only to keep communication channels open, we need to develop formal and concrete cooperation.We have a lot of common
experiences and traits to share
Both countries are landlocked
The system of both countries are built on preserving cultural values and the multi-ethnic structures of our societies.Both countries' people
and landscape are stunning
We have a large number of people-to-people and other contacts
But the most important thing will be bringing together our flags to let them wave freely and fraternally side by side on different bilateral
occasions.Diplomats from your country had held talks with political leaders and civil societymembers of Nepal in 2018 to make your country's
case for Nepal's recognition of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state
Has there been any progress since then?Since the proclamation of the independence of the Republic of Kosovo, we have been in contact with a
variety of decision makers, influencers and activists such as your country's political leaders, business people, civil society leaders,
athletes, journalists, etc
The meetings were also aided by international platforms, of which we are a part
We get to know each other better every day.Nepal is an independent, sovereign, free and egalitarian country, so it determines its foreign
policy preferences.We all know that countries have their own set of priorities
Our hope is that Nepal officially recognises Kosovo as soon as possible and that the silhouette of the Nepal flag be reflected on the Kosovo
government building with the words "Thank you Nepal"
The next will be even better.Around 100 countries have recognised your country as a sovereign and independent state but the two veto power
wielding nations - Russia and China - have opposed your country's bid to become a sovereign and independent state
How will your country convince China and Russia to recognise your country as a sovereign and independent state?Yes, more than half of the
countries have recognised the independence of the Republic of Kosovo
The majority of these countries are geographically close to our country and they have realised that the Republic of Kosovo case is unique
and cannot be used as a precedent for other cases.In addition, they considered the peace and stability of the region as well as their own
peace and stability.On the other side, the International Court of Justice has ruled that the declaration of independence of Kosovo was not
in violation of international law
In contrast, Russia and China are focused more on their own potential opportunities in the equation of relations in the region of the Balkan
This is not a correct and healthy approach
Russia, in particular, preferably misinterprets the Kosovo example, thinking that it will be beneficial for Russian interests, which is not
The way for Russia to develop normal relations with the Balkan countries is to develop relations based on contemporary democratic norms
It is not possible to achieve this with racist, religious, and occupying approaches.Even if Moscow abandons this understanding, the problems
As I mentioned, the Kosovo case is sui-generis
So, if we solve our fundamental problems in the Balkans, it will not be correct, and it will even be meaningless for the People's Republic
of China to continue its objections regarding Kosovo.In recent years, relations have improved between your country and Serbia, which claims
sovereignty over your country
Brussels agreement has further improved relations between Kosovo and Serbia
What is the possibility of Serbia recognising Kosovo as an independent state?Serbia is attempting to achieve something with its efforts to
destabilise Kosovo, although it is aware how unrealistic its claim to sovereignty is.In fact, these efforts are detrimental to everyone
Around 98 per cent of the people of Kosovo are determined to protect the territorial integrity of the country
The two per cent of the population manipulated by Serbia at this stage will sooner or later understand the facts and be fully integrated
Kosovo will never be Serbia
Kosovo is a country of its people, of Kosovar Albanians, Bosniaks, Serbians, Turks, and others
Of course, we continue our dialogue with Belgrade for normalisation of relations
However, it should not be forgotten that the purpose of the dialogue is to ensure the normalisation of relations between the two sovereign
countries, but not to generate unsolvable equations.It is certain that the Brussels agreements have further improved relations in some
practical and particular things, but it is clear that those engagements could not produce a solution to some very crucial issues
With Serbia's recognition of the reality of Kosovo, the ground will be prepared for the resolution of all problems
The day they do this should be declared a fest day in both Serbia and Kosovo
We will put an end to a longstanding issue in our relations
You inquire regarding the possibility of Serbia's recognition: Sooner or later we will mutually recognise each other, and that day will be a
very beautiful day.Does Kosovo want to be a member state of EU?Sure, the integration of Kosovo together with other Western Balkan countries
into the European Union is very important for peace, stability, economic development, and full reconciliation in the region
Our application file is ready
I hope we will get the status of candidate country in the near future.Is there any possibility of the expansion of trade and other relations
between Nepal and Kosovo?There are numerous opportunities and potentials for cooperation between the two countries
The relations we have developed with Bangladesh in the last five years can also serve as an example for our future relations with Nepal
Following the establishment of diplomatic relations with Bangladesh, agreements were initiated and commercial, cultural, educational
cooperation and people to people interactions has been increasing
We can catch the same mood with Nepal.What is your country doing to promote ties between your country and Nepal?First of all, we are trying
to tell our story to Nepal
We are trying to explain that Kosovars are peace-loving like you, that we have a vibrant population with the youngest median age in Europe
and that we can develop both bilateral relations and cooperate on multilateral platforms
So far, personalities from civil society are the biggest promoters of our relationship
The best example of this is the Kosovar climber Flutura-Uta Ibrahimi, known by her nickname Utalaya
She is the voice of Kosovo as well as of the Himalayas and therefore, Nepal, to the rest of the world.A version of this article appears in
the print on December 24, 2022, of The Himalayan Times.
This article first appeared/also appeared in https://thehimalayantimes.com