Nigeria: The Government Doesn't Recognise Kosovo, Says Yar'Adua

19 July 2009

Lagos - President Umaru Yar'Adua has assured Serbian President Boris Tadic that Nigeria will not recognise Kosovo as an independent nation.

Yar'Adua made the position of the country known at a bilateral talks between the Nigerian president and his Serbian counterpart at the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) Summit in Sharm El Sheikh.

Kosovo, with about two million people of mostly Albanian ethnic group, proclaimed independence from Serbia in February 2008, in defiance of Serbia and Russia.

Yar'Adua said the decision not to recognise Kosovo was informed by Nigeria's historical experience of the civil war of 1967 to 1970, fought to maintain its territorial integrity and sovereignty.

"Since the end of the civil war, Nigeria has continued to embark on nation-building policies and strategies to forge a heterogeneous, yet inclusive nation," he said.

He expressed Nigeria's desire to deepen and consolidate the existing bilateral ties with Serbia.

Yar'Adua further noted that under the old Yugoslavia, there existed strong ties of collaboration, which was to the benefit of the two countries.

He promised to revisit the closure of the Nigerian mission in Belgrade, saying Nigerian presence in Belgrade would facilitate the expansion and consolidation of economic and scientific cooperation between the two countries.

The Serbian president had earlier appealed to Yar'Adua to re-open the Nigerian Mission in Belgrade, pointing out that such move would help to deepen and consolidate ties between the two nations.

He enjoined Nigeria not to recognise Kosovo's declaration of independence from Serbia, saying the country had referred the matter for adjudication at the international court.

He also urged Nigeria and other well-meaning members of the international court to await the judgment of the court, which he disclosed would be delivered 2010.

Tadic also informed Yar'Adua of his country's desire to host the 50th anniversary of the NAM, in 2011, in Belgrade.

NAN reports that President Yar'Adua and his Sudanese counterpart, Omar Al Bashir, held similar bilateral talks.

Al-Bashir, in his opening comments, thanked Yar'Adua for Nigeria's invaluable support for the resolution of the political crisis in the Sudan.

He said reasonable progress had been made in Sudan, adding that efforts were being intensified to get the remaining rebel elements to join in the peace process.

The Sudanese president noted, with delight, that the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and Abuja Peace Agreements had provided the road map for permanent resolution of the political crisis in Sudan.

Al-Bashir, therefore, sought the assistance of Nigeria and the international community in ensuring that dividends of peace, good roads, water, electricity, good health and sanitation as well as other social services were made available to the Sudanese people.

Responding, Yar'Adua reaffirmed the support of the Nigerian government and people for the peace process.

"It is in the interest of our two countries, given the historic and brotherly ties, to work towards the establishment of permanent and sustainable peace in Sudan," he said.

Yar'Adua urged Al-Bashir to engage the rebels in constructive dialogue to ensure that they return to the negotiating table.