Macedonia, Kosovo establish diplomatic relations

19/10/2009

SKOPJE, Macedonia/PRISTINA, Kosovo -- Macedonia and Kosovo have established diplomatic relations, the foreign ministries of the two countries announced on Sunday (October 18th). According to a joint communiqué signed on Saturday by Foreign Minister Antonio Milososki in Skopje and his Kosovo counterpart Skender Hyseni in Pristina, the two countries are committed to boosting friendly relations on the basis of mutual respect of their national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity.

Diplomatic relations were established after the parliaments in Skopje and Pristina ratified a border demarcation agreement Saturday. That ended an eight-year dispute over the region used by Albanian guerrillas to launch attacks during Macedonia's rebel Albanian insurgency in 2001. It came after months of talks led under the auspices of the EU and the United States. Macedonia recognised Kosovo's independence a year ago.

In Belgrade, Serbian State Secretary for Kosovo Oliver Ivanovic downplayed the border agreement, saying that Macedonia eventually will have to discuss this matter with Serbia. Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic described it as a blow to Serbian-Macedonian relations. (Koha Ditore, VoA, Kosova Sot, RTK, Kohavision, A1, MIA, Sitel, Makfax, AP, Beta, B92 - 18/10/09)