President Vjosa Osmani met on Friday with her Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Shara, whose armed formations overthrew the Bashar al-Assad regime a few months ago. The Syrian presidency referred to Kosovo as a Republic in the announcement regarding the meeting. President Osmani said that the meeting opens chapters of cooperation between the two states. In Pristina, expectations were expressed for the rapid recognition of Kosovo’s independence by Syria
President Vjosa Osmani met on Friday with her Syrian counterpart, Ahmed al-Sharaa, who took office in December, when the military formations he led overthrew the government of Bashar al-Assad.
The meeting, which Osmani said opens chapters of cooperation between the two countries, was held within the framework of the fourth edition of the Diplomatic Forum, which is being held in Antalya, Turkey.
She emphasized that both Syria and Kosovo share the same suffering from dictatorial and genocidal regimes.
“The people of Kosovo and Syria have experienced countless suffering from dictatorial and genocidal regimes, in their struggle to be free. Today, with the President of Free Syria, Mr. Ahmed al Sharaa, we had our first meeting to open new chapters of cooperation between our two countries. Kosovo and Syria share the same wounds: the pain of war, displacement, and the challenges of reconstruction, so Kosovo is ready to share its experience in building democratic institutions,” the Presidency said in a statement.
Syria has not recognized Kosovo as a state. But Albanians who have been part of armed formations and fought for years against the al-Assad regime have said that recognition could come soon, following the changes that have taken place in this country.
And, the Syrian Presidency, which announced the meeting between Osman and al-Shara, referred to the state by the constitutional term – the Republic of Kosovo.
“The President of the Syrian Arab Republic, Mr. Ahmad Al-Shara, and His Excellency, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr. Asaad Al-Shaibani, met with the President of the Republic of Kosovo, Ms. Vjosa Osmani, on the sidelines of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum,” the Syrian Presidency said in a statement.
Mustafa Bajrami, an expert on international relations, said that this meeting may have been mediated by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, due to his great influence in Syria and in the overthrow of Assad’s government.
He stressed that this meeting could precede a process towards recognition of Kosovo’s independence from Syria.
“The meeting between Ahmed al Sharaa, the leader of Syria, and President Vjosa Osmani is considered important, of its own weight, of its own level, and I expect a new recognition for our Kosovo. Even more so if Turkey, President Erdogan, is at stake, who since before the war, during the war, after the war, and until now, when we are talking, is on the front line of states that have continuously helped Kosovo,” said Bajrami.
Before meeting with her Syrian counterpart, President Osmani was received by the President of Turkey, Erdogan. In the announcement for this meeting, she wrote that Erdogan is a powerful voice and a strong pillar of support at every stage of Kosovo’s state-building.
“President Erdogan is a leader who has always stood by Kosovo, in every challenge and in every success. A proven friend of Kosovo, a strong voice for our rights, and a strong pillar of support at every stage of our state-building. Turkey is and will remain a key partner for peace, security and regional development. Our relations are more than friendship, they are a partnership built on trust, respect and a shared vision for the future,” the Presidency announced in a statement.
President Osmani will participate in the fourth edition of the Antalya Diplomatic Forum, at the invitation of the Turkish President. On the sidelines of this forum in Turkey, Osmani will hold bilateral meetings with counterparts from various countries around the world, the focus of which, according to the Presidency, will be the strengthening of bilateral relations and the deepening of Kosovo’s international cooperation.
This year’s forum, with the theme “Reclaiming Diplomacy in a Fragmented World”, aims to address international challenges in a polarized global context, emphasizing the need for diplomacy to regain its role as a stabilizing and peace-building force.
The Antalya Diplomatic Forum is a high-level platform that brings together state leaders, high-ranking diplomats, and experts from around the world to discuss key issues of security, foreign policy, and international cooperation.