Kosovo recognition after Hasina's Moscow visit

ANIS ALAMGIR

Bangladesh has decided in principle to recognise the new European country Kosovo, but not willing to announce it before Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's proposed visit to Russia in the latter part of this year. "Before the Prime Minister's Russia visit, taking a decision to recognise Kosovo would send the wrong signals to the Russians with whom the government has planned cooperation on many issues, including the Ruppur nuclear power project," Foreign Secretary Mizarul Quayes explained to high officials of his ministry at a recent meeting.
Kosovo declared its independence in February 2008 after long a fight with Serbia and till date out of 192 UN member states, 69 have already recognised Kosovo's independence, including the USA, almost all EU countries and NATO members, the A non-UN member Republic of China (Taiwan), has also extended its support to Kosovo.
The UN Security Council is unable to take a unified position as the US, Britain and France are in favour of Kosovo's recognition but China and Russia are opposed to it. Russia is campaigning against Kosovo. On the other hand, Washington is making all-out hectic diplomatic efforts to impress upon Dhaka to recognise Kosovo.
However, Dhaka was trying to exercise restraint on the issue as its close ally-Moscow-still considers the newly-born country as a part of the Serbian province. In fact, all Dhaka is trying to do is to maintain the stance the US has done vis-à-vis recognition to Abkhazia and South Ossetia, which Washington still considers as parts of Georgia.
"Basically, Russia is not happy with the American position on Abkhazia and South Ossetia, in the same way as America is not happy with the Russian stance on Kosovo. Bangladesh doesn't want to get into all this…," said a top Bangladeshi diplomat.
During his meeting with the officials, the Foreign Secretary also said that the US government had been pressing Bangladesh to extend recognition to Kosovo, in particular after the ICJ (International Court of Justice) ruling in July last.
On October 8, 2008, upon the request of Serbia, the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution asking the ICJ for an advisory opinion on the issue of Kosovo's declaration of independence. On July 22, 2010, the ICJ ruled that Kosovo's declaration of independence did not violate international law.
The foreign secretary said that a wide range of factors needed to be considered while taking a decision on such an issue.
Quayes stressed that Bangladesh understood the urge of Kosovars for wider recognition. Bangladesh had sympathy for the Kosovars.
“In the days after our own liberation, we craved for world recognition. Our people recall until today those countries which recognised our new nation after 1971. We have this in mind when actively considering the US request for recognising Kosovo,” he added.
Quayes informed the officers that Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had scheduled a visit to Russia in the latter part of this year. Before her Russia visit, taking a decision to recognise Kosovo would send wrong signals to the Russians with whom the government had planned cooperation on many issues, including the long-awaited Ruppur nuclear power project.
Sources said that Serbia wanted to send a special envoy to Bangladesh and the Kosovo government wished to meet Bangladesh government leaders on many occasions.
However, Dhaka is discreetly asking Serbia not to send its envoy to Bangladesh at the moment, the Foreign Secretary added.


Wednesday, 25 August 2010