Pakistan recognises Kosovo as independent state
Islamabad, Dec. 25 (ANI)
Pakistan has officially recognised Kosovo as an independent state, almost five years after it declared independence from Serbia.
Pakistan is the 98th country among 193 UN-member states to recognise Kosovo, which declared independence on February 17, 2008. Pakistan's Ambassador to Turkey has been accredited to Kosovo as the country's envoy, reports The Dawn.
Turkey, which was one of the first countries to recognise Kosovo as a sovereign country,
played a major role in convincing Pakistan to recognise Kosovo.
Islamabad had supported Kosovo's cause in the United Nations. However, it always shied away from officially recognising it because of implications of such a move.
The unilateral declaration of independence by Kosovo was seen as a precedent for resolving ethnic conflicts on considerations other than territorial integrity of countries. It was also feared that the Kosovo principle could at a subsequent stage be applied to other separatist movements.