| Priština announces embassy, Podgorica has conditions |
| 5 January 2009 | 17:22
| Source:
FoNet, Vijesti |
PODGORICA --
Kosovo President Fatmir Sejdiu says that Kosovo will open an embassy in Podgorica in early 2009.
He said that establishing diplomatic relations is in the “best interest of both countries”.
Sejdiu told Podgorica daily Vijesti that he discussed the idea with Montenegrin officials and that there is "mutual readiness".
He added that there are no problems between Kosovo and Montenegro regarding border issues and that if they did exist, “they are only symbolic” and would "certainly be solved through talks".
“Kosovo wants good neighborly relations with Montenegro and Montenegro has the same approach, and I do not believe that anything can disturb these relations,” Sejdiu said.
But he continued to say that there have not been any meetings between senior officials of Montenegro and Kosovo.
Montenegro has recognized Kosovo Albanians' unilateral declaration of independence.
“I know that the foreign affairs ministers are regularly in contact with each other over the phone, and I have sent an invitation to [Montenegrin President Filip] Vujanović to visit Kosovo when he can,” Sejdiu said.
Meanwhile in Podgorica, Vujanović issued a statement that said that the recognition of the Montenegrin minority in Kosovo and securing conditions for the return of non-Albanians from Montenegro to Kosovo are the necessary preconditions for his country to appoint its ambassador to Priština.
Vujanović added that his positive approach to approving the presence of a Kosovo ambassador in Podgorica and establishing a Montenegrin embassy in Kosovo are "naturally conditioned" with fulfillment of those expectations.
In his interview for Vijesti, Sejdiu commented on the process of Kosovo's recognition, especially in view of the fact that the expected so-called second wave did not come after Montenegro and Macedonia's recognitions.
He said that even though that did not occur, he "expects a new wave of recognitions to begin shortly".
“I have information that one group of countries is in the process of recognizing, but it is not up to us to impose such decisions on them. It is up to us to provide information and to ask for support from our friends,” Sejdiu said.
According to him, Kosovo has a friendly approach “to all neighboring countries, even Serbia, but Serbia wants to continue to keep Kosovo under its control.”
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