As the first Ambassador of the Republic of Kosovo to the People's Republic of Bangladesh, I followed the developments and general trends in other South Asian countries as well, since we do not have diplomatic relations with neighboring countries of Bangladesh. One of these countries is Nepal.
Prior to gaining a deeper understanding of this region, my perceptions of Nepal were shaped by three elements: Firstly, the civil war in the 90s; then, the Himalayas, especially Mount Everest; and also Gurkhas from Nepal, who served as peacekeepers after the war in Kosovo. It is not difficult for us to empathize with Nepal, because we have common elements that remind us of our suffering, but also of our qualities. Both countries and peoples have gone through difficult times. We have always tried to ease our pain by talking to the mountains and singing to the trees, rocks, and rivers. Although not as great as the Himalayas, our Sharr Mountains are nonetheless extremely lovely. Our characteristics are similar.
As I got to know Nepal more and more every day, I witnessed that it is the hometown of friendly, proud, and respectful people. In general, Nepal is a country of people who avoid making decisions too quickly and are a little cautious but always friendly, with a positive aura and a smile on their faces. Throughout my tenure of four years in South Asia, I have also tried to follow Kathmandu’s political position on us, notably Kosovo. I witnessed that Nepalese have no negative feelings; on the contrary, they are very friendly to us. Kathmandu is open for communication, however, unfortunately it has yet to extend official recognition to the Republic of Kosovo's independence. Similar to Nepal, other nations initially withheld recognition act, but over time they realized that recognizing the Republic of Kosovo was the right step. Recognition of Kosovo is important for peace and stability in the Balkan Peninsula, or, in other words, in Southeast Europe. The independence of the Republic of Kosovo has rectified historical mistakes, ended Serbian occupation, and brought peace and freedom to the people.
Since the declaration of the independence of the Republic of Kosovo, we have been in contact with a variety of decision makers, influencers and activists such as Nepalese political leaders, business people, civil society leaders, athletes, journalists, etc. We often find the opportunity to meet Nepali people on international platforms. We get to know each other better every day. Nepal is an independent, sovereign, free and egalitarian country, so it determines its foreign policy preferences. Our hope is that Nepal officially recognizes Kosovo as soon as possible.
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We know the fact that Serbia, a country against which we had fought for our liberty and with whom we still have disputes, is using various instruments and false arguments to weaken Kosovo’s position internationally. This, naturally to a certain extent affects the formation of prejudices against us among third parties. Serbia’s claim to sovereignty over Kosovo is not only unrealistic, but also detrimental and this attitude is delaying reconciliation between the two nations.
First of all, it is important to mention that Kosovo is a `sui generis` case and, as such, it cannot be compared to any other situation and cannot represent a precedent for any other entity or territory in the world. Serbia may want to create such a perception in third countries against us for its interests, but if we evaluate studiously the process of the statehood of Kosovo we will understand that it is a `sui generis` and taking it as a precedent for other cases leads to confusion and does not serve to solve problems.” To understand how Kosovo achieved independence, it is essential to comprehend its history.
In 1989, Belgrade abolished Kosovo's autonomy and two years later, as the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY) disintegrated, Kosovo lost its status as a federal entity in the ex-country with rights similar to those of the six republics. During the 1990s, Kosovo and its institutions were under the Serbian occupation. Serbian authorities consistently discriminated against Kosovars, excluding them from governance and public life, along with exclusion from the health and educational system. In reaction, the Kosovo leadership under Ibrahim Rugova pursued a policy of peaceful resistance for several years before the lack of progress led to the formation of the Kosovo Liberation Army and armed struggle. This, in turn, encouraged the Serbians to exercise more pressure and atrocities against the Kosovars. Following a failed attempt to negotiate a settlement at Rambouillet, France, in March 1999, NATO decided to stop humanitarian crises in Kosovo and intervened in Serbian targets. During the Serbian atrocities, more than half of the Kosovars became refugees or internally displaced. It is worth mentioning that during the breakup of the former SFRY in the 1990s, Serbia attacked the territorial integrity and sovereignty of other federal units as well, applied aggression towards them, and interfered in their domestic affairs. Furthermore, Serbia`s aggression caused humanitarian crises in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kosovo, resulting in the deaths and injuries of hundreds of thousands and the displacement of more than four million people in the former SFRY.
After the war, attempts were made to resolve the issues between Kosovo and Serbia through negotiations. But after all the attempts, the UN special envoy, former Finnish president Martti Ahtisaari, gave the green light for the status of Kosovo as a 'sui generis’ case. It's obvious that until this reality is accepted by Serbia, we will continue to have concerns. Countries that remind Serbia of this reality and recognize Kosovo will contribute to the solution of problems and reconciliation between these two countries.
It should be noted that more than half of member countries of the UN have recognized the independence of the Republic of Kosovo. The majority of these countries are geographically close to Kosovo and they realized that the case is unique and cannot be used as a precedent for other cases. In addition they considered the peace and stability of the region as well as their own peace and stability. On the other side, the International Court of Justice ruled that the declaration of independence of Kosovo was not in violation of international law.
As an independent country, the Republic of Kosovo seeks to develop further cooperation with reliable partners and international entities. There are numerous opportunities and potential for cooperation between Kosovo and Nepal. As an example, the People's Republic of Bangladesh, a South Asian country, recognized us only a few years ago, and now we have a very close relationship with them. Likewise, we want to maintain similar relations with Nepal. We have a lot of common experiences and traits to share. Both countries are landlocked. The systems of both countries are built on preserving cultural values and the multi-ethnic structures of our societies. Both countries` people and landscapes are stunning. Both countries have dynamic societies. We have opportunities for institutional cooperation, especially in the fields like education, economy, and more specifically, agriculture. As a new country, we are very successful in sports as well. It is possible to engage in the exchange of our experiences pertaining to Nepal. For that reason, we are tirelessly continuing to tell our narrative to Nepal. We are trying to explain that Kosovars share your love for peace, that we have a vibrant population with the youngest median age in Europe and that we can develop both bilateral relations and cooperate on multilateral platforms. So far, personalities from civil society are the biggest promoters of our relationship. On the other side, Kosovar companies started to import labor force from South Asian countries, including Nepal. Our employers are satisfied with the overall performance and humanitarian behavior of Nepali employees.
Like Nepal, Kosovo is a very beautiful country. Like Nepalese, Kosovars are very friendly and beautiful. It would not be fair to only make good wishes for our own future. We need to make wishes for our world and work in that direction. Ending wars and resolving disputes would be very important for the future of our world. We must devote our energies to friendships, sustainable development, and protecting our planet. We must instill love in people, both at home and in the world. I'm sure all Nepalis and Kosovars have these aspirations, but it is very important that the whole world is convinced of this.
It is very valuable to invite people and countries to good causes.
May the peoples of Kosovo and Nepal always walk in friendship and peace.
