How far does the view from Central and South America reach—to Belgrade or Pristina?

Serbian Foreign Minister Marko Djuric attended the General Assembly of the Organization of American States late last week—a body that brings together, among others, the countries of Latin America and the Caribbean. It was precisely from this part of the world that the first withdrawal of recognition of Kosovo’s independence came, and analysts suggest that more may follow soon. For Kosovo Online's interlocutors, both Belgrade and Pristina are doing everything they can to strengthen their positions and win over as many allies as possible—particularly on continents that could “disrupt the balance.”

Written by: Djordje Barovic

The Republic of Suriname, in the northeastern part of South America, was the first country to withdraw its recognition of Kosovo in 2017. Since then, 28 countries around the world have done the same.
The most recent country to recognize Kosovo was Sudan.

Kosovo President Vjosa Osmani announced this on April 12 via the social media platform “X,” following a meeting in Austria with that country’s Foreign Minister, Ali Youssef Ahmed Al Sharif.
According to the authorities in Pristina, this marks the 119th country to recognize Kosovo’s independence, but by Belgrade’s count, it is the 85th.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic recently stated that this “math” could soon change and that “surprises from two different parts of the world” on the matter were to be expected.

Possible Withdrawals of Recognition

Former Serbian ambassador to Mexico, Milisav Pajic, told Kosovo Online that the political situation in Central and Latin America is such that at least five countries could withdraw their recognition of Kosovo.
He emphasized that this would be highly significant for Serbia, especially within the United Nations.
“Every UN member state has one vote in the General Assembly, particularly when issues concerning our southern province are on the agenda. It is extremely important that resolutions submitted to the detriment of Serbia cannot secure a prevailing majority,” Pajic stressed.

He pointed out that Serbia could potentially influence Panama and Costa Rica in Central America to reverse their recognition of Kosovo, and in South America, at least three countries could reconsider their decision.

“One is Peru, where I believe there are serious opportunities to achieve a withdrawal of recognition of so-called Kosovo. We had ‘Elektroprojekt’ there—one of our iconic companies involved in numerous investment projects in Peru, such as the ‘Chira-Piura’ project to irrigate the desert areas of Peru,” Pajic noted.

He identified Colombia as another country, which until recently followed a traditionally pro-American policy.

“However, a left-leaning administration is currently in power there, distancing itself from the U.S. I think now is perhaps the right moment for a high-level visit by our delegation and the opening of a political dialogue with Colombia,” Pajic said.

He added that Colombia is the second most populous country in the region and an important regional player.

“There is now a favorable atmosphere to attempt serious engagement and dialogue on this issue,” the former ambassador emphasized.

He reminded that Suriname was the first country in the region to withdraw its recognition of Kosovo in 2017, and that Minister Marko Djuric’s recent participation in the General Assembly of the Organization of American States confirmed Serbia’s strong bilateral relations with countries in this part of the world.

“This is something that was established during his tenure as ambassador to the U.S.,” noted diplomat Zoran Milivojevic.

He said Serbia’s presence at the summit was crucial for bilateral meetings and delivering key messages.

“Firstly, to affirm our interest in bilateral relations with these countries, and secondly, to present arguments relevant to our key issue—Kosovo and Metohija—not only to those that have derecognized or never recognized Kosovo, but generally to countries in the region. This is an important continent, and there are still states we must engage regarding Kosovo and Metohija,” said Milivojevic.

He explained that Serbia’s diplomatic success should be understood through its principled approach.

“We treat all these countries equally, even the smallest ones like Saint Lucia or Trinidad and Tobago, just as we do the larger ones. Every vote in the UN counts the same. By giving significance to these countries, we are building a special level of trust,” he emphasized.

When asked how familiar Central and South American countries are with the Kosovo issue, Milivojevic said that during “serious diplomatic work and contacts, the entire situation has been presented.”

“The most important aspect is their stance on sovereignty and their perception of how important this issue is—how vital it is to respect the principles of international law. Especially for small countries that face pressure and the imposition of great powers' interests,” he explained.

He specified that as a result of such a policy, Serbia has a “strong footing” in the region—not just regarding Kosovo recognition, but also in terms of bilateral relations.

“We’re doing quite well—not only in terms of these confirmations, but also regarding our bilateral relations with Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Venezuela, Cuba… That is, with the key states in the region that maintain the stance of not recognizing Kosovo’s independence. For us, this is an invaluable asset. It is a barrier Pristina cannot break through,” Milivojevic emphasized.

He added that Serbian diplomacy’s success is even more significant considering that most of these countries fall within the U.S. sphere of influence.

“America has not succeeded in imposing the issue of Kosovo’s statehood in that region. We particularly owe that to large, influential states that adhere to the principle of sovereignty—Mexico, Brazil, Venezuela. They firmly stand on those positions, and I believe this is one of the most important regions, along with Africa, where we are defending this principle and where there is a bulwark against attempts to confirm Kosovo’s statehood,” Milivojevic concluded.