Manama: Kuwait has become the latest country to recognise the Republic of Kosovo as an independent state after the government spokesman confirmed the move.

Kuwait and Kosovo will start exchanging diplomatic representations at the Ambassadorial level, Ali Al Rashid, Minister of State for Cabinet affairs, said.

The Kuwaiti cabinet assigned the foreign ministry to take the necessary steps measures to bolstering ties with Kosovo, Al Rashid said, quoted by the local media.

Kuwaiti MPs have often called upon the government to recognize Kosovo as an independent state.

In July, MP Waleed Al Tabtabai asked the foreign minister to explain the country's readiness to recognize the independence of South Sudan, while ignoring the Republic of Kosovo.

"Kuwait's government recognized South Sudan on July 11, one day after it declared independence," said. "However, Kuwait has not recognised the independence of Kosovo even though the country declared its independence three years and a half ago," the MP said in his question to the foreign ministry.

Lawmaker Mohammad Al Hayef in 2010 said that recognizing the independence of Kosovo "is necessitated by the right of faith brotherhood and the sense of Islamic identity."

Kosovo declared its independence on February 17, 2008. The UAE on October 14, 2008, became the first Arab country to recognise the state, followed by Saudi Arabia on April 20, 2009, Bahrain on May 19, 2009 and Jordan on July 8, 2009.

Qatar recognised Kosovo in January this year, followed one month later by Oman.

Following the Kuwaiti statement, Kosovo is now recognized by 82 of the 193 United Nations member countries, a 42.5 per cent.

Out of the 22 Arab countries members of the Arab League, 11 have recognized Kosovo, while 24 of the 57 member states of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) have diplomatic ties with it.

 

 

Republic of Kosovo

  • Location: Southeastern Europe - Borders with Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and Serbia
  • Capital: Prishtina
  • Area: 10,908 square kilometres
  • Population: 2.1 million

 

 

 

Formal Recognitions Data:

 

 

  • 82 out of 193 United Nations (UN) Member States (42.49%)
  • 3 out of 5 UN Security Council (UNSC) Permanent Member States (60%)
  • 22 out of 27 European Union (EU) Member States (81.48%)
  • 24 out of 28 NATO Member States (85.71%)
  • 34 out of 47 Council of Europe (COE) Member States (72.34%)
  • 36 out of 56 OSCE Member States (64.29%)
  • 24 out of 57 OIC Member States (42.11%)
  • 11 out of 22 Arab League Member States (50%)
  • 7 out of 7 G7 Member Countries (100%)
  • 7 out of 8 G8 (G7 + Russia) Member Countries (87.5% )

 

(Data from http://www.kosovothanksyou.com/statistics/)