What do you know about... Kosovo?

[u/MarktpLatz]

This is the thirty-second part of our ongoing series about the countries of Europe. You can find an overview here.

Today's country:

Kosovo

Kosovo is a partially recognized state in the balkan. It belonged to the Ottoman empire from the 15th until the beginning of the 20th century. After being part of Yugoslavia for most of the 20th century, Kosovo unilaterally declared independence in 2008. It has been recognized as a country by 111 nations, but Serbia refuses to recognize it as a souverign state. Notable european countries refusing to recognize Kosovo include Spain (because of separatist movements in Spain), Greece and Russia (there are several more, you can check the list linked).

So, what do you know about Kosovo?

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Major thanks to /u/our_best_friend, who took care of these threads during my absence.

[u/angryteabag → u/[deleted]]

literally only 4 countries recognize South Ossetia, Abkhazia...... Russia, Nicaragua, Venezuela and Nauru. So its Russia (which created those ''countries'' through a war) and some Russian friendly places in South America that probably did it just to make Russians like them more. Kosovo is recongised by most of Europe, while nobudy in Europe recognises those South Ossetia and Abkhazia

[u/angryteabag → u/[deleted]]

you compare countries with 4 nations recognising them.......to country that have 111 countries recognizing it. Yea no its not the same thing, no mater how much you want to pretend it is. And unlike South Ossetia and Abkhazia, Kosovo actually has representation in United nations

[u/SuddenGenreShift → u/[deleted]]

Widespread recognition is a requirement for statehood in international law, unanimous recognition isn't.

In Kosovo's case, its recognition is pretty extensive, but there are enough countries that don't that you can make an argument against it.

Countries without unanimous recongition (among UN states): People's Republic of China Israel Both Koreas Cyprus Armenia

[u/SuddenGenreShift → u/[deleted]]

International law doesn't have a big, unified written constitution, so no, I can't. Similarly, you won't be able to link me any law that it's required at all (there are some treaties and conventions that sort of imply it is, though).

The two competing theories of statehood are known as constitutive - statehood is just a matter of recognition - and declarative - a state is an objective fact whether recongised or not. Actual practice shows a blend of the two approaches and this is theoretically popular as well. No-one I've read who favours (at least some degree of) constitutive requires that it's wholly unanimous.

[u/[deleted] → u/SuddenGenreShift]

Disregarding recognition, What reason is there for anyone but the top 1% of society to remotely care about recognized vs unrecognized countries? It's not the Georgian and Moldovan people who are struggling against S. Ossetia, Abkhazia and Transnistria (At least not anymore). Right now, It's only a struggle between the leaders.

[u/A3xMlp → u/angryteabag]

111 or 4, neither is in the UN. They are both in the same position, partially recognized countries. And Kosovo will never be in the UN, UNSC Resolution 1244 makes sure of that.