Montenegro and Kosovo establish diplomatic ties

The Montenegrin government announced yesterday that it had established diplomatic relations with Kosovo in a move that prompted a strong protest from neighbouring Serbia.

"Montenegro and Kosovo today (yesterday) established diplomatic relations by exchange of letters of (respective) foreign ministers Milan Rocen and Skender Hyseni," a government statement said.

The formal establishment of diplomatic relations angered Serbia, which has rejected Kosovo's unilaterally proclaimed independence and still considers the breakaway territory its southern province.

Hours after the news from Podgorica, Belgrade announced it had withdrawn its ambassador to Montenegro for emergency talks and sent a firm official note to the representative of the Montenegrin government.

"The establishment of diplomatic relations of the government of Montenegro with Pristina jeopardises regional stability and makes the establishment of the best possible relations among neighbours, which is the Serbian government's priority, more difficult," a foreign ministry statement said.

Pristina and Podgorica said that despite the establishment of diplomatic ties, the exchange of ambassadors was delayed until an agreement about the status of the Montenegrin minority in Kosovo.

Podgorica wants the several thousand Montenegrins living in Kosovo to have a formal minority status, giving them the right to be represented in Parliament and guaranteeing certain educational and cultural rights.

However, Mr Hyseni told reporters in Pristina their status was not a condition for improvement of the relations between the two countries.

"I assure you that there have never been conditions from the side of Montenegro," he said.

"Within the scope of our efforts to build a multi-ethnic Kosovo, certainly Kosovo will also pay a special attention to citizens of Montenegrin nationality."

Serbia has challenged the legality of Kosovo's independence before the International Court of Justice, and urged other states to postpone recognition or establishing diplomatic relations until a ruling by the UN's highest court.

In 2008 Montenegro's recognition of Pristina prompted Belgrade to expel Podgorica's ambassador in return. Things were patched up with a new ambassador arriving in Serbia last November.

Following the break-up of communist Yugoslavia in early 1990s, Serbia and Montenegro were allied in a loose union until Podgorica peacefully separated in 2006.

Kosovo's ethnic Albanian majority proclaimed independence from Serbia in February 2008. The move has been recognised by 65 countries so far, including the United States and most of the European Union's members.