Kosovo President Hashim Thaci declined to take part in the annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) in the Bosnian capital this week due to bad relations of Sarajevo with Pristina authorities.

Thaci was invited to attend a meeting of the Western Balkan leaders within the EBRD summit to discuss the regional cooperation and the key challenges in the region but gave up on the participation a day before the meeting.

He thanked the EBRD for the invitation and equal treatment of Kosovo with other participants, Kosovo Presidency said on Tuesday.

Despite the political will of Pristina to have good neighbourly relations with Bosnia, Kosovo President said, this determination has not been acknowledged and has often been misused.

“Bosnia and Herzegovina has not yet recognised the Republic of Kosovo and for the bad luck of the citizens of both countries this country still maintains the visa regime for the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo in force,” said Thaci.

He called “paradoxical” the situation in which Kosovo has a visa-free regime with Serbia, the country that Kosovo separated from and which never recognised Pristina government, but not with Bosnia.

“We can not understand how Bosnia and Herzegovina applies and behaves in this completely anti-European manner and even harsher than Serbia itself,” said Kosovo President.

“Kosovo remains committed to good neighbourly relations, regional cooperation and a Euro-Atlantic future, but refuses to be subjected and discriminated by anyone,” he added.

Bosnia is one of the countries along with Serbia which did not recognise Kosovo's independence. This decision requires the consent of both of Bosnia's semi-autonomous entities but the Serb-dominated Republika Srpska won't give its approval as it follows the stance of official Belgrade on this matter.