Middle East
Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa (left), Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (center), and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani (right), during a meeting in Riyadh on Wednesday, October 29, 2025. Photo: President Vjosa Osmani/X
ERBIL, Kurdistan Region - The Republic of Kosovo on Wednesday welcomed its recognition by Syria, saying the move will have " historic significance", following a trilateral meeting between Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa, Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani in Riyadh.
"The Republic of Kosovo wholeheartedly welcomes the recognition from Syria and the statement by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia on the mutual recognition between the Republic of Kosovo and the Syrian Arab Republic," Osmani wrote on X
She expressed her country's "deep gratitude for the decision by the Syrian Arab Republic to recognize Kosovo’s independence and we thank President Ahmed al-Sharaa for his leadership and his support for the people of Kosovo."
"This truly is a decision of historic significance between the two states, based on mutual respect for the long struggle for freedom, mutual recognition of sovereignty, territorial integrity and commitment to bilateral cooperation and establishment of diplomatic relations," the Kosovo president said.
Syria’s foreign ministry said the country’s official recognition of Kosovo as an independent state stems from its belief in the right of peoples to self-determination.
Damascus “looks forward to establishing diplomatic relations with Kosovo as soon as possible and developing bilateral cooperation in political, economic, and cultural fields to serve the shared interests of both countries and their peoples.”
The Republic of Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. The country has officially been recognised by 120 countries.
Kosovo is recognised as an independent state within the international community, including by the majority of EU. However, the landlocked southeastern European country is neither a member of the UN nor the EU.
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