Azerbaijan–Kosovo relations

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Azerbaijan–Kosovo relations

Azerbaijan and Kosovo have no formal diplomatic ties because Azerbaijan does not recognize Kosovo as an independent country. In February 2008, Azerbaijan’s Foreign Ministry said Kosovo’s declaration of independence was illegal under international law and that Azerbaijan would not recognize it. Azerbaijan also withdrew its peacekeepers from Kosovo, with officials explaining the move reflected changes on the ground and Azerbaijan’s political stance.

At the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) summit in March 2008, Azerbaijan opposed a Turkish-proposed document that would support Kosovo’s independence, and in June 2008 it joined other states in opposing Kosovo’s recognition.

In the December 2009 International Court of Justice hearing, Azerbaijan argued that secession that violates a state’s laws cannot create a new state, and that faits accomplis are not acceptable.

In May 2010, during a meeting with Serbian President Boris Tadić in Baku, President Ilham Aliyev said Azerbaijan supports Serbia’s territorial integrity and again called Kosovo’s unilateral independence illegal, urging all UN members to respect international law.