Kosovo–Zambia relations

Kosovar–Zambian relations are foreign relations between Kosovo and Zambia.[a]

Kosovar–Zambian relations

Kosovo
Zambia

History

In March 2008, Zambian Foreign Minister, Kabinga Pande, said that Zambia had not decided its position on the declaration of Kosovo's independence. Pande said the government needed more time to analyse the matter.[1] According to leaked US cables, Zambia did not want to take a position on Kosovo due to concerns with the precedent for the Lozi tribe, an ethnic group primarily inhabiting western Zambia, which had an active separatist movement for independence from Zambia.[2]

In a September 2010 meeting with Kosovo's Foreign Minister, Skënder Hyseni, Pande said that Zambia was carefully studying the opinion of the ICJ and that the request for recognition would be processed soon.[3] In a subsequent meeting with the Albanian Foreign Minister, Edmond Haxhinasto, Pande said that Kosovo's independence was an irreversible reality and that the decision of the ICJ's opinion eased the decision on recognition of Kosovo for many African countries.[4]

On 27 February 2011, regarding a request to recognise Kosovo, Pande stated that "We will evaluate that request. It will have to undergo scrutiny like we always do".[5]

In September 2012, Zambian Foreign Minister, Given Lubinda, said that his country had no reason not to recognise Kosovo.[6]

Zambia's Minister of Home Affairs, Edgar Lungu, stated in December 2013 that his government would thoroughly discuss and clear all the grey areas before any decision could be made over Kosovo,[7] and that recognition of Kosovo was Zambia's priority.[8]

See also

Notes
a.   ^ Kosovo is the subject of a territorial dispute between the Republic of Kosovo and the Republic of Serbia. The Republic of Kosovo unilaterally declared independence on 17 February 2008. Serbia continues to claim it as part of its own sovereign territory. The two governments began to normalise relations in 2013, as part of the 2013 Brussels Agreement. Kosovo is currently recognised as an independent state by 97 out of the 193 United Nations member states. In total, 112 UN member states have recognised Kosovo at some point, of which 15 later withdrew their recognition.

References
  1. Zambia to decide on Kosovo Archived 26 April 2012 at the Wayback Machine, ZNBC, 3 March 2008
  2. Zambia on Kosovo recognition, WikiLeaks, 18 February 2009.
  3. Minister Hyseni meets Foreign Minister of Zambia and other senior representatives, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kosovo, 26 September 2009
  4. Ministri i Punëve të Jashtme të Shqipërisë z. Edmond Haxhinasto u takua me Ministrin e Punëve të Jashtme të Zambias z. Kabinga J. Pande, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Albania, 28 September 2010 (in Albanian)
  5. Zambia studying Kosovo 'friendship', Zambia Daily Mail, 27 February 2011
  6. Deputy Prime Minister Pacolli meets the minister of foreign affairs of Zambia Archived 3 November 2013 at the Wayback Machine, First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Kosovo, 30 September 2012
  7. Edgar Lungu holds talks with Kosovo counterpart Archived 14 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Zambia Daily Mail, 8 December 2013
  8. Zambia promises to recognise Kosovo's independence Archived 13 December 2013 at the Wayback Machine, Kosova Press, 6 December 2013
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