At the congress Union of European Football Federations (UEFA), which is held in Belgrade, members of this federation participate, including the southern Serbian province Kosovo as an independent state.
Zastava Thus, Kosovo found itself in the capital of Serbia among the national symbols of the member countries of this football organization, and the Football Association of Serbia (FSS) announced that it was an oversight by the organizers, which, they say, was immediately rectified.
In a video published on social networks, the president of the Football Association of Kosovo, Agim Ademi, can be seen approaching the blue-yellow flag and crucifixion, so that everyone can see that the symbol of independence of Kosovo is in the middle of the capital of Serbia, reports KoSSev.
Although Serbia does not recognize Kosovo, Kosovo's entry into UEFA secured a place for the national flag in the Serbian capital, the portal states.
After the media announcement, the FSS reacted.
"The shadow of the extraordinary organization was cast by the omission of the organizers, which one participant of the Congress tried to use for non-football interests. We reacted together, quickly and decisively, and with full responsibility we inform the public that there are no flags or flags of the so-called Kosovo at the UEFA Congress today in Belgrade," the announcement states.
The organizer of the event is, as they say, UEFA, and the Football Association of Serbia hosts "the most important football people in Europe and the world."
"We apologize to every citizen and every member of our people, especially our people in Kosovo and Metohija, who were upset and hurt by the organizer's omission, which was immediately remedied by our reaction," the announcement states.
This is happening after a big controversy about the joint organization by Albania and Serbia of the European Championship for players under the age of 17 U-17 in 2026.
Kosovo became the 55th member of UEFA in 2016.
Which international organizations received Kosovo
Kosovo declared independence in 2008 and has since become a member of the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the World Bank, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, the World Customs Organization, CEFTA, the Permanent Court of Arbitration, the Olympic Committee, FIFA and UEFA and is recognized by around 100 countries.
Serbia opposed Kosovo's membership in all these organizations, and Kosovo is still waiting for admission to the World Trade Organization, the World Health Organization, and the OSCE.
On several occasions, Serbia has successfully prevented Kosovo's membership in Interpol and UNESCO. Membership in NATO and the United Nations is eluding Kosovo, while membership in the Council of Europe is still questionable.
The majority of Western countries demand that Serbia stop attempts to block Kosovo in international organizations.
With and without stars
After negotiations between Belgrade and Pristina on the way to represent Pristina - with international mediation - in 2012, it was agreed that Kosovo would be represented at regional gatherings with an asterisk next to its name. The five countries of the European Union that do not recognize the unilaterally declared independence still respect it, as do the official institutions of the European Union. In the beginning, Belgrade insisted on the star, creating a problem when the Kosovo flag was displayed, however, that changed over time.
On the UEFA website, Kosovo is presented without an asterisk.
In the past decade, delegations from Belgrade have repeatedly refused to participate in gatherings where Kosovo did not have an asterisk next to its name. The first time was in Sarajevo in 2012, when the Pristina delegation left the meeting in Belgrade, where Kosovo was represented with a star.
The Government of Serbia then published instructions on how to proceed if Kosovo and Metohija were not represented as agreed.
In it, among other things, it is written: "This instruction also foresees situations in which Serbian officials, if and when Kosovo officials do not present themselves in accordance with the instruction, are obliged to react, namely by having the representatives of the state bodies of Serbia leave the meeting, with a written protest to the organizer."
In the spring of 2017, the then Minister of Labor, Aleksandar Vulin, left the commemoration at the Mathhausen camp in Austria due to, as he said, "the presence of a delegation from the fake state of Kosovo."
A year later, the president of Serbia goes to Paris to mark the centenary of the victory in the First World War, despite criticism for the way Kosovo was presented.
"What we can't influence, and it's a lump in everyone's throat, is that the Kosovo flag is displayed everywhere... and that their relationship... don't think that the relationship is equal, they all know the difference between us and them. But it's something that's been going on for a decade, a whole decade, maybe two, so it won't change soon, but we have to change our position and be stronger to have even more arguments, to be more and more present and to fight for our the country even stronger", said Vučić at the time.
The Berlin summit at the end of 2022 had a big impact due to the agreement of Serbian statesmen to be in the company of the Kosovo delegation. Then the heads of government of Serbia, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina signed three agreements: on mutual recognition of identity cards, university diplomas and professional qualifications.
Source: KoSSev/Insajder
