Kosovo, Israel to establish diplomatic ties Feb. 1

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Kosovo and Israel will establish diplomatic relations on Feb. 1, the Kosovan Foreign Ministry said on Friday.

Diplomatic relations will be formalized with a virtual ceremony and the signing will be done by Kosovan Foreign Minister Meliza Haradinaj-Stublla and her Israeli counterpart Gabriel Ashkenazi, a Foreign Ministry statement said.

“Recognition by Israel is one of the greatest achievements for the Republic of Kosovo which is made possible thanks to the friend of our lifelong ally, the United States of America,” the statement said.

"It is a perpetuation of the long friendship between our peoples,” it added.

Former US President Donald Trump announced that the leaders of Serbia and Kosovo, who met at the White House in September 2020, have reached an agreement to normalize economic ties between the two counties.

Kosovo also agreed to establish diplomatic relations with Israel, while Serbia announced to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.