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Balkans: Kosovo and Albania to quit SEECP summit in Sarajevo

Kosovo,'the invitation is humiliating'. Solidarity from Albania

08 July, 15:37

Kosovo marks 20th anniversary of NATO troops' entering and end of war 
Kosovo marks 20th anniversary of NATO troops' entering and end of war

(ANSA) - BELGRADE, JULY 8 - Kosovo and Albania announced they would quit today's and tomorrow's SEECP (South East Europe Cooperation Process) meeting which is taking place in Sarajevo.

Kosovo's president Hashim Thaci explained his decision by saying that Milorad Dodik, the Bosnian Serb leader who's the current president of the Bosnian tripartite presidency, deemed the invitation 'humiliating'. Indeed, according to Thaci, Kosovo has not been put on a par with other participating countries. Dodik said that Kosovo was invited in line with the format envisaged for these international meetings, with the writing 'Kosovo' flanked by an asterisk, leading to a footnote explaining the real status of the entity, whose self-proclaimed independence from Serbia is not recognized by a large number of states.

Moreover, Kosovo is not a member of the United Nations. As a sign of solidarity with Kosovo, Albania has made it known that it would not participate in the SEECP summit. As for Croatia, neither president Kolinda Grabar Kitarovic nor prime minister Andrej Plenkovic will go to Sarajevo, even though the country will be represented at a lower level. Heads of state and government from the countries of this regional organization are going to attend today's and tomorrow's SEECP summit, including Turkish president Tayyip Recep Erdogan and his counterparts from Slovenia, Montenegro, and North Macedonia. A meeting of foreign ministers is scheduled for today, whereas the meeting of heads of state and government is scheduled for tomorrow. The summit marks the end of Bosnia and Herzegovina's presidency of the Seecp, which Kosovo is about to take. A delicate situation, given that there will be no representatives of Kosovo in Sarajevo. (ANSA).

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