Kosovo and Albania boycott SEECP summit in Bosnia

NEWS 08.07.201912:04
Pixabay (ilustracija)

Bosnia and Herzegovina is wrapping up its year-long chairmanship of the South-East European Cooperation Process (SEECP) with a two-day summit taking place on Mount Jahorina, near Sarajevo, on Monday and Tuesday, but there will be no formal ceremony of the transfer of rotating presidency since the next chair, Kosovo, is boycotting the gathering.

Angered by the way Bosnia and Herzegovina's Serb officials are treating the Kosovo delegation, Kosovo Foreign Minister Behgjet Pacolli said on his official Twitter account that Kosovo “will contribute to constructive regional cooperation always”, adding that the behaviour of Bosnia and Herzegovina “goes against this spirit.”

“SEECP is about strengthening reg coop, not harming it and creating obstacles to neighbours,” the Kosovo minister wrote in his comment on the attitude of Bosnia and Herzegovina's Presidency chairman Milorad Dodik and Foreign Minister Igor Crnadak.

Kosovo received an invitation to attend the Jahorina summit but was told that its name in the meeting's papers would be marked with a footnote saying that its status is still unresolved.

Kosovo President Hashim Thaci and FM Pacolli described such behaviour as unacceptable.

Albania has also cancelled its attendance in the meantime as a sign of solidarity with Kosovo.

Of the 13 SEECP member states, Turkey will be represented by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, and Presidents Borut Pahor of Slovenia, Milo Djukanovic Montenegro and Stevo Pendarovski North Macedonia are due to arrive. Serbia and Bulgaria will be represented by their Prime Ministers, Ana Brnabic and Boyko Borisov respectively, while other countries, including Croatia, will be represented by ministers.