Syria has recognized Kosovo, President Vjosa Osmani announced today from Riyadh, where she is attending an international conference on future initiatives and investments. She confirmed that the decision came with the mediation of Saudi Arabia.
“With the support of His Royal Highness, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, today in Riyadh an agreement was reached under which the Arab Republic of Syria recognizes the Republic of Kosovo,” Osmani stated.
She thanked Syrian President al-Sharai for the move, emphasizing shared struggles for freedom.
“The peoples of Kosovo and Syria have suffered and sacrificed greatly to achieve freedom. This mutual recognition is not only about acknowledging state sovereignty, but also about honoring the sacrifices of generations who fought to live free,” she said.
Osmani also expressed gratitude to the Saudi Crown Prince for enabling what she described as “a historic act between two states.”
According to Osmani, this brings the total number of countries that have recognized Kosovo’s independence to 120.
“Our republic is moving forward, and nothing can stop it,” she added.
Serbia’s Foreign Minister Also in Riyadh
At the same Riyadh conference, which gathered over 40 world leaders and prominent figures from science, technology, and business, Serbia’s Foreign Minister Marko Đurić is also in attendance.
Like Osmani, Đurić praised his country’s achievements at the event.
“The conference in Riyadh is an excellent opportunity to present Serbia and build new contacts in modern technologies,” he said.
He lauded Saudi Arabia as a leader in technological innovation, including areas relevant to Serbia’s economy, education, and public administration.
“We look forward to deepening our overall relations with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, one of the leading countries in the Islamic world, significant to us for many reasons,” Đurić added.
Third Recognition for Kosovo This Year
Syria’s decision marks the third recognition of Kosovo in 2025, following Sudan in April and Kenya in March.
The recognitions of Kenya and Sudan came shortly after Đurić’s meetings with Sudanese officials, where he spoke of strengthening bilateral cooperation.
While Kenya’s move was met with sharp reactions from Serbia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the recognition by Sudan drew no official response. At that time, the Serbian MFA announced that it would “more decisively defend the integrity of the country.”
When Kenya recognized Kosovo, President Aleksandar Vučić promised new diplomatic initiatives in Africa and hinted at “upcoming surprises” regarding derecognition — none of which have materialized so far.
The Numbers Disputed
For years, the exact number of states recognizing Kosovo has been disputed.
While Osmani now claims 120 recognitions, Serbian authorities — citing their own diplomatic activities — maintain that 28 countries have withdrawn recognition.
As of this writing, official Belgrade has not commented on Osmani’s latest announcement.
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