The United Kingdom: Kosovo’s Strongest Supporter in Europe

The United Kingdom has been Kosovo’s single most important European ally in its attempts to gain recognition and acceptance on the international stage. Having been at the forefront of efforts to NATO intervention in 1999, from the very start of the status process the British Government left no doubt that it viewed statehood as the only viable final status for Kosovo. Following the declaration of independence, in February 2008, Britain, along with the United States, led the international efforts to try to persuade countries to recognize Kosovo. As a result, Kosovo is now recognized by more than half the members of the United Nations. At the same time, Britain also helped pave the way for Kosovo’s membership of many key international bodies, including the World Bank, International Monetary Fund and the International Olympic Committee. Britain also played a key role in supporting Kosovo during the International Court of Justice advisory opinion on the legality of the declaration of independence. For all these reasons, it would not be an exaggeration to say that no other EU member has done as much as the United Kingdom to support Kosovo’s recognition efforts. Although Britain continues to support Kosovo’s international integration, and still lobbies for recognition whenever and wherever opportunities arise, there is no doubt that the intensity of British activity in this area has decreased in recent years. This is due to several factors. In large part, it is down to the increasing difficulty of persuading countries that have not yet recognized Kosovo to do so. Allied to this, there has been a growing realization of the damage that this failure to secure more recognitions has on wider perceptions of British influence. Then there is Britain’s frustration at what it sees as Kosovo’s inability to structure a plan to secure further recognitions. Meanwhile, British officials have expressed frustration at the dysfunctional domestic political situation in Kosovo. This has also made it more difficult to persuade countries to recognize Kosovo. Finally, all these factors are playing out at a time when the wider international environment is in a period of extreme change. The looming prospect of Britain’s departure from the European Union raises important questions about the way in which it can continue to support Kosovo in the years ahead.