18 November 2021

Balkans Group has published the new policy report Kosovo and Israel: A long waited recognition. Recognition of states and territories in the contemporary international politics. This report focuses on Israel’s recognition of Kosovo as a long-anticipated recognition, which was welcomed in Kosovo and yet provoked reactions and dilemmas in the international spectrum.

Recognition by Israel represented an important milestone for Kosovo. It symbolized that Kosovo’s quest for international recognition is alive, especially since it had been affected since 2017 by numerous alleged withdrawals of recognition by a number of countries, as part of the successful de-recognition campaign from Serbia.

This report is of a distinct character, combining political and legal analysis on the recognition of states and territories. Kosovo’s decision to open an embassy in the contested city of Jerusalem, in March 2021, furthered the debates on the topic and it represented a critical test case for Kosovo’s challenging foreign policy.

The report identifies numerous ways on how Kosovo can build upon newly established diplomatic relations with Israel and recommends ways for redefining its foreign policy and service. 

Read the full policy article here.

This publication has been produced with the support of the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Prishtina. The views and analysis in this publication are solely of the Balkans Group and do not reflect the views of the donor.