Kosovo plans to open first embassy in Ankara

The Kosovar president announced yesterday that Kosovo would open its first embassy in Ankara, in an apparent gesture acknowledging Turkey's swift recognition of his state in February. Turkey was among the first countries to recognize the world's youngest state on the evening of Feb. 18, a little over 24 hours after Kosovo's Albanian leadership declared independence in a parliamentary session on Feb. 17. Following a meeting with Prime Minister Hashim Thaci, President Fatmir Sejdiu told reporters yesterday that Kosovo had decided to upgrade diplomatic relations with Turkey to the ambassadorial level. Sejdiu instructed Foreign Ministry officials to take necessary steps toward opening an embassy in Ankara, officials said. Kosovo has had a representative office in Istanbul since 1999. Earlier this week, the Turkish-Kosovar... [read full story]