Kosovo confident Hague ruling will bolster recognition

    Kosovar Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, speaking to a group of journalists in İstanbul on Friday, said he expected more countries to recognize Kosovo -- a multi-ethnic democracy that, he underlined repeatedly, aspires for full integration with Euro-Atlantic institutions. “I am very optimistic about the future,” he said. “The process [of recognition] is irreversible. We are building our state on solid bases.”

    Serbia, which says Kosovo's declaration of independence constitutes a violation of its sovereignty and territorial integrity, requested the UN to ask the International Court of Justice to review whether the secession is legal. The UN approved the request in 2009 and the Hague court is now expected to deliver its ruling in the coming months.

Many say the ruling is likely to be released around July, but some officials warn it might take longer, possibly until October.

Asked whether he was concerned about the verdict, Thaci said the international community was widely convinced that his country's independence reflected the will of the people of Kosovo and that it was legal. He noted that the Hague ruling will underscore this, paving the way for recognition by more countries, and expressed optimism that it will also help with the establishment of normal relations between Kosovo and Serbia.

A decision that rules Kosovo's independence to be illegal would deal a blow to the recognition process, leaving Kosovo with one of two choices: either going back to negotiations with Serbia or accepting a “Taiwan-like” status. A positive decision, however, is certain to open the way for Kosovo's full independence. Observers say the court is likely to stand on the middle ground, avoiding a firm judgment on the legality of Kosovo's status.

Since it declared its independence in February 2008, some 69 countries, including the United States and Turkey, have recognized Kosovo. Most of the 27 members of the EU recognize Kosovo, with only five members -- Greece, Greek Cyprus, Romania, Slovakia and Spain -- refusing to do so. This Balkan country of majority Albanians, Turks, Serbs and Bosniacs is also a member of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Turkey, one of the very first countries to recognize Kosovo as an independent state despite protests from Serbia and Russia, has been lobbying to increase international support for Kosovo's independence. On Thursday, Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said after talks with Thaci that he had spoken on the phone with leaders of Greece, Syria, Azerbaijan and Qatar, discussing Kosovo's future. Officials said the conversations were simply an expression of the Turkish position, and although they were well received, the talks were not expected to produce an immediate outcome.

Thaci has praised Turkey's active role in the Balkans and backed growing ties between Turkey and Serbia, saying they would only help regional stability. When asked whether Turkish mediation between Serbia and his country -- similar to the successful mediation Ankara carried out between Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina -- was possible, he said, “We would welcome any step that will bring peace and stability.”

Representation at EU-Balkans summit

Thaci has also declared that Kosovo will send its foreign minister to an upcoming summit of the EU and the Balkan nations in Sarajevo, rejecting Serbian claims that it cannot be represented as a sovereign state at the meeting. “Kosovo is an independent state, and it will be represented by its own state institutions,” he said.

Kosovo was invited by the European Commission to the summit, which will take place on June 2. Officials say it will be held under the Gymnich format, meaning that only the names and not the titles or countries of the participants will be introduced. Serbia says it will boycott any regional meeting where Kosovo is introduced as a sovereign state.