Baraliu: Influence of China and Russia crucial in the fact that more African countries have not recognized Kosovo

Constitutional law professor Mazllum Baraliu said that both Pristina and Belgrade are making efforts on the African continent to increase the number of countries that recognize, or de-recognize, Kosovo’s independence, adding that Serbia is leveraging the significant influence of China and Russia in this part of the world.

Baraliu stressed that Belgrade has invested considerable resources and effort into the de-recognition of Kosovo.

“De-recognition does not exist as a category in international law, but it does happen. There are certain aims and intentions behind the policies and diplomacy of certain countries. In this case, Serbia has tried and invested a lot, both financially and in terms of effort, to get some countries to withdraw their recognition of Kosovo. It has not succeeded to the extent it has claimed in its propaganda,” Baraliu told Kosovo Online.

He emphasized that further recognitions of Kosovo’s independence in Africa depend solely on the activities of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and other institutions in Pristina.

“It depends on whether we are sufficiently aware of the importance of cooperation, contacts, and mutual respect with other countries, especially in Africa, where the influence of China and Russia is strong. That influence has already been decisive in preventing certain countries from recognizing Kosovo,” the analyst said.

He recalled that this year alone, there were two recognitions in Africa, first from Kenya, and then from Sudan.

He noted that the future course of events depends on how much effort Kosovo’s institutions are willing to invest to secure more recognitions.

“But it also depends on Serbia’s efforts to work in the direction of de-recognition, even though under the Washington Agreement Serbia undertook the obligation not to do so and not to obstruct Kosovo’s membership in international organizations. However, Serbia has not agreed to that in practice, in other words, it has not stopped working on de-recognition of Kosovo,” Baraliu explained.

Because of this, he said, the process in the future will depend solely on two factors.

“How much Kosovo can put in greater effort and be more successful in gaining recognition from additional countries, and how much Serbia will, by all means, try to prevent Kosovo from having more countries that recognize it,” Baraliu concluded.