Kosovo’s president welcomes 1st-ever Israeli ambassador

By Talha Ozturk

BELGRADE, Serbia (AA) - Kosovo’s president on Wednesday welcomed Israel’s first-ever ambassador to the country.

Vjosa Osmani said on social media that Tammy Ziv presented her letter of credence in her office.

“Today I welcomed the first Ambassador of Israel to Kosovo @AmbTammyZiv. Our historic ties serve as a great foundation to deepen cooperation in a range of sectors. Wishing the Ambassador success in her role!” said Osmani on Twitter.

Ziv for her part said she is honored to have become the first ambassador to Kosovo.

Kosovo and Israel officially established diplomatic relations in February 2021.

Israel has become the 117th country to recognize the Republic of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign country.

Also, Kosovo recognizes Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.

Kosovo became the third country to open an embassy in Jerusalem after the US and Guatemala.

The establishment of relations between Kosovo and Israel was preceded by agreements on the normalization of relations reached in recent months between the Jewish state and four Arab countries: the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

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