Israel, Kosovo normalize relations in online signing ceremony
Kosovo becomes first Muslim nation to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state
In a ceremony held over Zoom, which is increasingly the "new normal" even for diplomacy, Israel and Kosovo established diplomatic ties on Monday and even recognized Jerusalem as the capital of the Jewish state - the Muslim nation to do so.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and his counterpart from Kosovo Meliza Haradinaj Stublla sign a joint declaration establishing ties during the ceremony which was held on Zoom.
"Minister @MelizaHaradinaj and I just signed an agreement establishing diplomatic relations between Kosovo and Israel and we unveiled the sign that will hang at the entrance to the Kosovo embassy in Jerusalem, the capital of Israel," Ashkenazi said in a tweet. "This agreement is an important and exciting step in the relations between us."
He added: "In our conversation, the Foreign Minister emphasized Kosovo's commitment to recognizing #Hezbollah as a terrorist organization and shared with me their program to promote the memory of the Holocaust and care for Jewish cemeteries and the opening of a Jewish cultural center this year."
Ashkenazi also thanked the United States "for its efforts to promote peace, and Israel's relations with countries with which we have not had diplomatic relations until recently."
He already approved Kosovo’s “formal request to open an embassy in Jerusalem.”
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
