To break the deadlock, the country has opted for alternative strategies. The active digital diplomacy of the country has led to the recognition of its country by Facebook users. Users have the option of selecting “Kosovo” as their country of origin, where Serbia had been the preferred choice prior to that. A award in 2016 Oscar nomination for short films was also a source of excitement.
Sports are also employed as a tool for diplomacy. It was not a coincidence that in his speech of congratulation to Kosovo upon its their independence US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson mentioned the country’s FIFA membership as well as the Olympic title that judo champion Maljinda Kelmendi as a major achievement for Kosovo. Participation in sporting competitions internationally is a symbol way for a country to prove its existence.
Majlinda Kelmendi poses with her supporters following her win of the Olympic gold medal in Rio. Toru Hanai/Reuters
Who would not admit that Kosovo existed at the time that Kelmendi took home his title of the 2016 Rio Olympics title in judo in front of the world? Who would deny that Kosovo exists when its national soccer squad is a part of 2018’s World Cup qualifiers?
Participating in an international sporting event allows for a country – especially smaller or young ones to be placed noticed, to get the world used to its flag and the national song. In this way, sports is a method that demonstrates soft power as well as is a cost-effective means to gain an international recognition.
Croatia, Qatar, and Jamaica, among others, are familiar with this kind of process that has given them an image much higher than their weight in politics throughout the world.
For Kosovo, the key decision was taken in the last quarter of 2014, when Kosovo’s International Olympic Committee unanimously approved Kosovo for its official membership pav,ing the way for any other sports federation to follow suit. FIFA as well as The Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) were the next to follow in the year 2016.
The path for Kosovo towards FIFA membership began just after the declaration of the declaration of independence in 2008, thanks to Fadil Vukrrri, an ex- Partizan Belgrade player who had played for on the Yugoslav national team during the 1980s. He was elected head of the Kosovo football organization from 2008 onwards and while acknowledging that Kosovo wouldn’t be admitted to FIFA until all countries had recognized it, advocated an gradual approach to get Kosovo accepted into an international system of transfer, to permitting its teams to participate in friendly matches, which FIFA was able to do in 2013.
Diplomacy and football
The Kosovo case illustrates just how political soccer can become. In the beginning, prominent members of FIFA were enthusiastic about acquitting Kosovo, but the then president of UEFA, Michel Platini, was against the decision, calling the case political.
The second reason was that Serbia, as well as other countries, including Russia, Greece, and Spain, were against FIFA accepting Kosovo even playing friendly matches. The league was forced to negotiate with UEFA and Serbia in order to come up with an agreement.
That’s the reason FIFA refused to permit Kosovo to host friendly matches prior to 2013, even though it was technically feasible. The FIFA President at that time, Sepp Blatter, insists on negotiating a deal to the Serbian association instead of taking an unilateral decision.
Football is the embodiment of Kosovo’s claim to the UEFA Poland 2012. Blerimuka/Wikimedia, CC BY-ND
The key to the game seems to be an agreement in the 2013 Belgrade-Pristina agreement that was forged off the books and was signed by the EU supervision. In the agreement, Serbia pledged to stop hindering Kosovo’s accession to international sporting organizations.
Yet, Serbia continues to work against Kosovo’s recognition within other international organizations like UNESCO. When Kosovo lastly applied to join UNESCO, it was denied by 50 countries.
Vokrri hopes for his Kosovo national team could one day become an emblem of the country’s citizenship that encompasses every citizen regardless of nationality, Albanian, Serb or Roma. He could even be the case, he explained in an interview, very similar to it is the case with Bosnian national team that is currently ethnically diverse.