Foreign relations of
Kosovo
Kosovo, officially the Republic of Kosovo, is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe with International recognition of Kosovo, partial diplomatic recognition. It is bordered by Albania to the southwest, Montenegro to the west, Serbia to the ...
are accomplished by efforts of the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kosovo. Kosovo operates 33 embassies abroad and is host to 22 embassies in
Pristina
Pristina or Prishtina ( , ), . is the capital and largest city of Kosovo. It is the administrative center of the eponymous municipality and District of Pristina, district.
In antiquity, the area of Pristina was part of the Dardanian Kingdo ...
. Kosovo has membership in several international organisations.
On 17 February 2008, members of the
Assembly of Kosovo declared independence from
Serbia
, image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg
, national_motto =
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg
, national_anthem = ()
, image_map =
, map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...
. This move was controversial among the international community. International supervision over the direction of the assembly ended in September 2012, and Kosovo became responsible for its own governance. The Republic of Kosovo has been
recognised by 108 UN member states, the
Republic of China
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
(
Taiwan
Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia. The main geography of Taiwan, island of Taiwan, also known as ''Formosa'', lies between the East China Sea, East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocea ...
), the
Cook Islands
The Cook Islands is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of 15 islands whose total land area is approximately . The Cook Islands' Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) covers of ocean. Avarua is its ...
, and
Niue
Niue is a self-governing island country in free association with New Zealand. It is situated in the South Pacific Ocean and is part of Polynesia, and predominantly inhabited by Polynesians. One of the world's largest coral islands, Niue is c ...
. Serbia and other member states consider Kosovo as an autonomous region of Serbia under United Nations administration.
The current
Foreign Minister
In many countries, the ministry of foreign affairs (abbreviated as MFA or MOFA) is the highest government department exclusively or primarily responsible for the state's foreign policy and relations, diplomacy, bilateral, and multilateral r ...
of Kosovo is
Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz.
Status of diplomatic relations
The
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo has initiated the process of establishing diplomatic relations with all
states that have recognised Republic of Kosovo, either by opening new missions or through accreditation of non-resident ambassadors to these countries.
[Kosova and Liechtenstein to establish diplomatic relations](_blank)
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, 2012-06-28
Diplomatic relations
Consular relations
Countries that recognise Kosovo as an independent state but have not yet established diplomatic relations
Membership in international organisations
Ongoing applications
Enver Hoxhaj,
Kosovo's Minister of Foreign Affairs during 2011–14 and 2016–17, stated in November 2013 that the country was considering making applications for membership in three
United Nations specialized agencies in the first half of 2013, and that an application for membership of the
Council of Europe
The Council of Europe (CoE; , CdE) is an international organisation with the goal of upholding human rights, democracy and the Law in Europe, rule of law in Europe. Founded in 1949, it is Europe's oldest intergovernmental organisation, represe ...
in 2014 was being prepared. Deputy Prime Minister
Hashim Thaçi reiterated the state's desire to join in December 2014. Kosovo is also preparing a membership application for the
World Trade Organization
The World Trade Organization (WTO) is an intergovernmental organization headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland that regulates and facilitates international trade. Governments use the organization to establish, revise, and enforce the rules that g ...
. Joining
NATO
The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO ; , OTAN), also called the North Atlantic Alliance, is an intergovernmental organization, intergovernmental Transnationalism, transnational military alliance of 32 Member states of NATO, member s ...
's
Partnership for Peace
The Partnership for Peace (PfP; ) is a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) program aimed at creating trust and cooperation between the member states of NATO and other states mostly in Europe, including post-Soviet states; 18 states are ...
is a priority of the government. Hoxhaj said in 2014 that Kosovo's goal is to be a full
UN member state by 2020 and a
NATO member state by 2022. On 15 December 2022 Kosovo filed a formal application to become a member of the European Union.
Names used to represent Kosovo

Kosovo is represented under the name:
*"Republic of Kosovo";
*"Kosovo*" (with an asterisk),
depending on the particular international forum. A list is set out above. The name "Republic of Kosovo" is self-explanatory and is the preferred nomenclature of the Pristina Government. The name "Kosovo*" with an asterisk is used in other fora. Where this name is used, the asterisk is linked to a footnote which reads:
This "Kosovo*" designation was the outcome of an
arrangement agreed to between Pristina and Belgrade in talks mediated by the European Union. This arrangement, which has been dubbed the "asterisk agreement" was agreed in an 11-point arrangement agreed on 24 February 2012.
"UNMIK" is an acronym for the
, which has joined several organisations on behalf of Kosovo.
International treaties and conventions
See also
*
International recognition of Kosovo
International governments are divided on the issue of recognition of the independence of Kosovo from Serbia, which was 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence, declared in 2008. The Government of Serbia does not diplomatically recognise Ko ...
*
Membership of Kosovo in international organizations
*
List of diplomatic missions of Kosovo
*
Membership of Kosovo in international sports federations
*
International Court of Justice advisory opinion on Kosovo's declaration of independence
*
Kosovo–Serbia relations
Kosovo unilaterally 2008 Kosovo declaration of independence, self-proclaimed independence from Serbia in 2008, a move which Serbia strongly rejects. Serbia has not recognized Kosovo as an independent state and continues to claim it as the Autonom ...
*
Bosnia and Herzegovina–Kosovo relations
*
Visa policy of Kosovo
*
Foreign relations of Yugoslavia
Notes
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Foreign Relations Of Kosovo
Independence of Kosovo