Macedonia, Kosovo Establish Diplomatic Ties - Media

The Foreign Ministers of Macedonia and Kosovo, Antonio Milososki and Skender Hyseni, signed a joint communiqué in which both countries pledged to strengthen their friendly relations based on mutual respect for the national sovereignty, independence and territorial integrity, MIA (www.mia.com.mk) quoted the Macedonian Foreign Ministry as saying in a press release.

Macedonia recognized Kosovo's independence from Serbia last October but said it would establish diplomatic relations with its new neighbour after a deal for demarcation of the 125-kilometre border between them is signed. Kosovo, where 90% of the population is ethnic Albanian, declared its secession from Serbia on February 17, after almost nine years under the administration of the U.N.

The missions of the European Union and the United States in Skopje welcomed the signing of the Macedonia-Kosovo border deal as a sign of maturity, responsibility and mutual respect, contributing to good neighborly relations and regional stability, MIA said earlier.