 | |
 Kosovo |  United Kingdom |
|---|---|
| Diplomatic mission | |
| Embassy of Kosovo, London | Embassy of the United Kingdom, Pristina |
| Envoy | |
| Ambassador Ilir Kapiti | Ambassador Nicholas Abbott |
Kosovo–United Kingdom relations are foreign relations between theRepublic of Kosovo and theUnited Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. When Kosovodeclared its independence fromSerbia on 17 February 2008,[1] the United Kingdom became one of the first countries to announce the official recognition of a sovereign Kosovo on 18 February 2008.[2][3] The United Kingdom has had an embassy inPristina since 5 March 2008.[4] Kosovo has had an embassy in London since 1 October 2008. The two countries have very good and friendly relations.
From 1 April 2016 until 30 December 2020, trade between Kosovo and the UK was governed by theKosovo–European Union Stabilisation and Association Process, while the United Kingdom was amember of theEuropean Union.[5] Following thewithdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union, the UK and Kosovo signed acontinuity trade agreement on 3 December 2019, based on the EU free trade agreement; the agreement entered into force on 1 January 2021.[6][7] Trade value between Kosovo and the United Kingdom was worth £13 million in 2022.[8]
The United Kingdom participated in the1999 NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, which resulted in aUN administration of Kosovo. The United Kingdom currently has 84 troops serving in Kosovo as peacekeepers in theNATO ledKosovo Force. Originally there were 19,000 British troops in KFOR.[9]Mike Jackson was the first KFOR Commander from 12 June 1999 until 8 October 1999.
On 25 April 2008, the British Government announced that it would send a battle-group based on2 Rifles, a light infantry battalion of about 600 soldiers, to help maintain public order to serve as Peacekeepers inEULEX, an EU Police, Civilian and Law Mission in Kosovo.[10]
On 30 September 2023, it was reported that due to the build up of Serbian forces on the border between Kosovo and Serbia, the 1st Battalion of thePrincess of Wales's Royal Regiment was sent to Kosovo as part ofKFOR.[11]
The United Kingdom was an important player in the events of 1999. The Kosovo War, which Prime MinisterTony Blair had advocated on moral grounds, was initially a failure when it relied solely on air strikes; he believed that the threat of a ground offensive, whichBill Clinton had initially ruled out, was necessary to convince Serbia's PresidentSlobodan Milošević to withdraw. Blair ordered that 50,000 soldiers - most of the available British Army - should be made ready for action.[12] Blair has visited Kosovo on several occasions since; other British Ministers who have had ministerial responsibility for policy towards Kosovo, such as Dennis MacShane, have also maintained their connections.
The disintegration ofYugoslavia and the end of theCold War prompted the United Kingdom to shift its foreign policy in theBalkans, ending its support for Serbia in favour of building a unique bilateral relationship with Kosovo. The United Kingdom has acted as Kosovo’s protector, spearheading efforts to build state institutions and establish it on the international stage.[13]
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