Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić informed Foreign Minister Eli Cohen on Wednesday that an ambassador will be posted in Israel within a month, ending a three-year hiatus in the relationship.

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Serbia downgraded the level of representation shortly after the Trump administration brokered an agreement under which Israel recognized Kosovo, which Belgrade refuses to accept as a separate country.

Video: Kosovo opens an embassy in Israel / Credit: The Foreign Ministry

Under that agreement, Kosovo opened an embassy in Jerusalem, and Serbia – which was supposed to do the same under that agreement – has never followed through on it and refused to appoint an ambassador to Israel to protest the Kosovo recognition, creating a diplomatic crisis that now appears to have been resolved.

"After three years of stagnation, these important ties with Serbia are now back on track," Cohen told Israel Hayom."The decision made by Serbia's president on appointing an ambassador to Israel is a sign of a thaw in relations."

He added that "Serbia is an important country in the Balkans; we are going to work together to bolster ties between the countries and promote diplomatic, economic, and technological collaboration between the two nations."

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"We are more than content. Israel and Kosova [the local term for Kosovo] are really deepening our cooperation and friendship. We are in many aspects quite similar countries. Within two years, we have had a lot of excellent exchanges, ranging from official visits to private businesses. We are surely on the right path."

Q: The annual report of the Abraham Accord, which was the framework of the establishment of relations, states that economic ties and investments between both countries remain limited. Is it so and what is the reason?

"The initial phase fell into the period of the pandemic, but our economic exchange will develop increasingly dynamic. There is more to come, not only for investment in Kosova but also for exports from Kosova to other markets.

"Kosova has had a remarkable increase in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) that proves the excellent business opportunities in Kosova. Kosova has literally jumped up 22 ranks in Transparency International's index. Businesses find a reliable environment in Kosova, and Israeli businesses can profit from that."

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Q: Kosova was the first European country to open an embassy in Jerusalem. When will Kosova nominate an ambassador?

"That is a question that we will most probably handle in the first half of this year. The final decision does not depend that much on our bilateral relationship, but rather on an ongoing long overdue restructuring of our diplomatic service to make it significantly more effective."

Q: Serbia was also supposed to move its embassy to Jerusalem, as part of the agreement reached in Washington. Was Kosova pressured by the EU not to open its embassy in Jerusalem?

"Of course, Serbia promised to move its embassy. But people here were not surprised that Vučić once again broke a promise. When I took office in March 2021, the embassy in Jerusalem was one of the first tasks to deal with. I told everyone that the move of the embassy to Jerusalem was a done deal, based on the signature and the promise of the preceding government."

Q: When will there be direct flights between both countries?

"Our countries are in touch to figure out the economic feasibility of how to achieve that. Since we don't have a national carrier, we need to find partners for a sustainable solution. We are working to find a viable solution for this flight connection."

Q: Kosova is celebrating this weekend 15 years of indépendance. However, it witnesses renewed tensions with Serbia. Is the risk of military clashes real?

"Only in the past two years, Serbian President Vučić threatened Kosova several times with war, even deploying troops at our border, sending warplanes, hosting the Russian ambassador for visits to these troops, incorporating Russian military into the Serbian defense ministry, increasing military capabilities and exercises with Russia from about 10 to nearly 100 per year in 2021. Recently, we detected Wagner mercenaries at our border and arms smuggling into Kosova. Other covert actions by Russia and Serbia are taking place in other countries in the region.

"Contrary to many, we know Vučić and his Foreign Minister Dacic very well. Both men were the closest aides of the "Butcher of the Balkans," former Serbian president and war criminal Milosevic. Vučić was his minister of propaganda and Dacic was his right hand during war, massacre, and the worst atrocities against our country and our people. They not only never apologized, but they also still publicly honor the war criminals and deny and falsify the events.

"The very reason that this aggressive approach is not turning into open conflict is the restraint of our government and the presence of US troops in Kosova. Only recently, the United States issued a stern warning to Vučić, who wanted to deploy Serbian troops on our territory. An army that was responsible for the worst crimes and the expulsion of nearly half of our population and that will never return to Kosova on our watch.

"Kosova, like Israel, is used to constant threats. That does not define our lives. We are part of the West, while Serbia is a proxy of Putin. It's not perfect, but we continue to live our lives and develop our country."

Q: How do the war in Ukraine influence Kosova and the Balkan area?

"The Russian war against Ukraine does impact the whole world. Putin has demolished the post-Holocaust world order. This is a struggle between dictatorships and aggressive regimes and the free world.

"Serbia not only breached an important treaty with the EU by rejecting sanctions against Russia. In October 2022, Serbia signed an agreement with Russia to do just what it rejected with regard to the EU - it signed to align its foreign policy with Putin. Serbia is a proxy of Russia, not only in the region but also poses a threat. Serbia is engaged in arms deals, financing, and smuggling for the Russian war, and thus contributing to the killing of innocent children and families in Ukraine.

"We in the West have to take more decisive actions to signal to Serbia that aligning with Russia is not a future if it wants to maintain connections with the West, and not turn itself into an adversary of the West."

Q: Do you fear the risk of the war spreading to other areas, including the Balkan?

"All countries that rely on secure borders need to take the threat to the rules-based international order very seriously. If Russia and Serbia were to succeed, many countries would be up for grabs. Therefore, Kosova stands with Ukraine, supports Ukraine, and wants Ukraine to win and Russia to lose this war.

"Today, in a world of cyber, drones, terrorism, and nuclear threats, Russian aggression cannot be contained to Ukraine, just as Serbian genocide could not be confined to the Balkans. Moscow is in a global alliance with China and other actors to destroy the US-led peace order that was established in direct response to the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II.

"Israel, Kosova, and other countries, small and large, should invest heavily in defending that rules-based order. If we fail to defend our peaceful world order, we may all end up in an era of war again, but this time on a totally different, global level."

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After more than 10 years of covert relations, the State of Israel and the Republic of Kosovo agreed to establish formal diplomatic relations on Sept. 4, 2020. In September and early October of last year, former Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said he was looking forward to the next celebration with Kosovo to be held in Israel.

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Nevertheless, during the global pandemic, diplomatic relations were formally established between Israel and Kosovo on Feb. 1, online. On March 14, the Republic of Kosovo opened its embassy in Jerusalem.

One year after the establishment of official relations, Ines Demiri, the chargé d'affaires of Kosovo, posted in Jerusalem, spoke with JNS at the Kosovo Embassy. With its large blue-and-yellow Kosovo flag flying outside, the embassy is rather unique, being located on a major Jerusalem thoroughfare in contrast to other international embassies in Jerusalem, which are in much less noticeable locations.

Demiri landed in Israel six months ago to represent Kosovo. Notably, Kosovo's Minister of Foreign Affairs Donika Gërvalla-Schwarz and the current president of Kosovo, Vjosa Osmani-Sadriu, are also women.

Demiri's arrival in the midst of a pandemic with lockdowns and restrictions has added challenges to her role in representing her country with its more than 95% Muslim population. According to its constitution, Kosovo is a secular state and by law offers freedom of religion. "My family members were involved with partisans fighting against fascism, and my Albanian grandfather and grandmother took in survivors. There is a deep and enduring story in the Balkans and Kosovo," explained Demiri. However, during the Kosovo-Serbia fighting, many Jews left with a significant number moving to Israel.

Fewer than 100 Jews now live in Kosovo, but they are an active community, according to Demiri.

Serving in New York City for four years, prior to her posting in Israel, she made good connections in the United States. Yet her first trip to Israel to attend a diplomatic seminar for Young Jewish Leadership in the summer of 2011, sponsored by the Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs, proved "an exceptional experience, and with representatives from 42 countries, it was a great introduction to diplomacy."

After spending half a year in Israel, she sees tourism, water, agriculture, and economic and academic exchanges as the general areas that can benefit both countries. Demiri also plans to work more with Yad Vashem, believing there is much to share not only about Jews but also with Righteous Gentiles.

The interview was conducted in English, one of the five languages Demiri speaks. Her father, Votim Demiri, who is considered the head of the Jewish Community in Kosovo, served in Paris for the Chamber of Commerce, where she attended school before continuing her studies in Turkey.

At the historic, first-of-its-kind virtual online signing ceremony in February, Ashkenazi remarked that "the establishment of relations between Israel and Kosovo is an important and exciting historical step that reflects the many changes the region has experienced in recent months. Today, Kosovo officially joins the circle of countries that strive for peace and stability, and recognize Israel and Jerusalem as its capital."

Kosovo declared its independence from Serbia in 2008. Its long history of conquests goes back centuries before the Ottoman Empire. Connections with Israel can be traced to the 15th century when six families, including the Levis, Cohens and Bahars, fled the Inquisition in Spain and Portugal, and settled in Novo Brdo.

Until World War II, the Jewish community supported a yeshiva, two synagogues and a long-established Jewish cemetery. When the Italians arrived in 1943, the Albanians helped Jews by falsifying documents and providing them with an escape route.

However, when the Germans invaded, 258 of the remaining Jews were sent to Bergen-Belsen, where 92 were murdered by the Nazis. Survivors came back to Kosovo after liberation and the end of the war. In 1948, a sizable group moved to the newly established Israel.

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Today, a Bergen-Belsen memorial plaque has been placed in the location where Communists destroyed the last synagogue in 1963.

Q: How did the Muslim Kosovar population react to its embassy being placed in Jerusalem?

"Political decisions of the institutions of the Republic of Kosovo in relation to other states are never taken based on the religious affiliation of its citizens or the religious affiliation of the citizens of another state, an agreement is concluded with, including the establishment of diplomatic relations, as in the present case.

"It is true that the vast majority of the citizens of the Republic of Kosovo are Muslim, and they have welcomed and appreciated the establishment of diplomatic relations with the State of Israel in spite of isolated voices of discontent.

"Albanians, for the most part, belong to three religions (Muslim, Catholic and Orthodox). This has historically been a basis of a unique religious tolerance and harmony, perhaps unparalleled for most of the world. This makes us very proud as a state, which also in its constitution is defined as a secular state."​

Q: How can the embassy contribute to furthering relationships between Israel and other Muslim-majority countries?

"In line with a unique friendship and relationship between Albanians and Jews, the embassy of the Republic of Kosovo in Jerusalem aims to deepen bilateral cooperation between the Republic of Kosovo and the State of Israel in all areas of interest for the mutual benefit of citizens in both countries. Specific focus should be on economic cooperation, as Kosovo is vitally interested to foster economic cooperation with Israel.

"At the same time, since most of the citizens of Kosovo are Muslim, good bilateral relations between Kosovo and Israel will serve as an example to many other countries—be it majority-Muslim, majority-Christian or other faith.

"We as a nation and as a people have gone through unspeakable suffering in our history, and now as a new state, we aim to build healthy friendships with other peoples and to establish bilateral relations with other countries based on democratic values and mutual respect.​"

Q: What about the vision for the future beyond the partnerships we discussed?

"Six months after the establishment of the diplomatic relations between the Republic of Kosovo and the State of Israel, the embassy was mainly focused on getting to know each other and building relationships and cooperation. It is worth mentioning that there are already projects under consideration in many different areas of mutual interest for our countries. As I said earlier, the economy is an area where both countries will identify common interests. It is crucial that the State of Israel put Kosovo in its map of foreign investment and cooperation. Kosovo has state-of-the-art legislation to attract and protect foreign investments. At the same time, Kosovo has a highly skilled young population, which makes up a labor market, being among the cheapest in Europe.

Economic cooperation between the two countries is one of the best platforms to create sustainable relationships between our countries without forgetting the importance of building cooperation in education, medicine, IT and tourism.

On one side, establishing an embassy from scratch, and on the other side, running to fill the gap of years of absence of diplomatic relations was very challenging personally to me.

The interest by Israelis to know more about Kosovo – seeking cooperation in all possible fields – is a promising indication of our future close cooperation on a very wide range of areas.

The genuine friendships between the two peoples, based on history, are the core element that will result in concrete results not only between institutions but also between people-to-people connections," she says

Reprinted with permission from JNS.org.

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Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has asked Kosovo's new prime minister to reconsider the Balkan nation's recent opening of an embassy in Jerusalem.

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Erdogan made the request in a letter congratulating Prime Minister Albin Kurti, who took office earlier this week. Kurti's media office released a copy of the letter Thursday.

Kosovo formally opened an embassy to Israel in Jerusalem last month following the establishment of diplomatic ties with Israel on Feb. 1 and a White House summit Kosovo's now-former prime minister attended in September with then then-US President Donald Trump and Serbian President Aleksander Vucic.

Kosovo became the first European country and the first Muslim-majority one to establish an embassy in downtown Jerusalem, following the United States and Guatemala.

Erdogan had warned Kosovo's government earlier that the move could damage future relations with ally Turkey.

Under Trump, the US was the first country to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, followed by Guatemala.

Several other countries have either opened or pledged to open lower-level diplomatic offices in the city.

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Kosovo is set to become the third country to open an embassy in Jerusalem. Israel Hayom has learned senior diplomats from both countries will attend the ceremony marking the embassy's opening to be held in central Jerusalem, Monday.

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On Thursday, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi and Czech Prime Minister Andrej Babis were in attendance as the Czech Republic christened a new branch of its embassy in the Israeli capital.

Also on Thursday, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu held a summit with Babis and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban.

Netanyahu praised both countries for acting to open official offices in Jerusalem and said Israel appreciates "them helping us on the international stage, as true friends do."

Both European leaders announced they would examine Israel's vaccination campaign.

Orban noted that despite the financial crisis Israel and Hungary both face as a result of the pandemic, bilateral trade had increased in 2020.

"This is an expression of true friendship," he said.

Meanwhile, President Reuven Rivlin and IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Aviv Kochavi will depart for a one-day trip to Germany, France, and Austria, Tuesday, at the invitation of Germany's President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, French President Emmanuel Macron, and Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen.

On their European trip, Kochavi and Rivlin are set to hold a series of meetings focusing on the threat posed by Hezbollah, the acceleration of Iran's nuclear program, and the International Criminal Court. Kochavi will also provide the presidents with security briefings during the trip.

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While full-fledged diplomatic relations with Kosovo have been an aspiration of the tiny Balkan republic for years, as it searches for recognition across the globe, the transfer of the Serbian Embassy to Jerusalem is a real sacrifice for the Serbs, who want to preserve good relations with the Muslim world.

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But beyond the Jewish state's surprising injection into the contentious Balkan issue, the deal signed in the Oval Office could be profoundly significant for one of the more volatile and conflicted regions in Europe.

But to understand the complex relationship between Kosovo, a tiny country with an Albanian-Muslim majority, and Serbia, the largest and strongest of the former Yugoslavia countries, one must do a deep-dive into the modern history that created Kosovo and Serbia, together with the deep-rooted sense of enmity and distrust between the two.

A history of violence

In 1992 the separatists in Kosovo declared independence from Serbia. The declaration ignited sectorial strife between the territory's Serbian residents, with help from the Serbian military and police, and the Albanian-Muslim separatists. The Kosovar paramilitary organization, the Kosovo Liberation Army, committed atrocities against the Serbian population, while the Serbian army and militias perpetrated a horrific wave of massacres.

The Serbian army's brutality, which increasingly resembled an ethnic cleansing campaign, led NATO, spearheaded by the US, to intervene and launch an aerial offensive in 1998 against the Serbian military. At the same time, the Serbian army launched a revenge campaign inside Kosovo, which led to the deaths of nearly 10,000 civilians, almost 250,000 refugees, the rape of nearly 20,000 women, and the destruction of one-third of the mosques in the territory.

American intervention ended in 1999 as NATO ground forces entered Kosovo and the Serbian army withdrew. The Kosovo Liberation Army was disarmed and the local Kosovar government, which largely represented the Albanian majority in the territory, began managing the region's daily affairs. Meanwhile, the UN's foreign peace-keeping forces assumed responsibility for all security aspects.

In 2008, after the withdrawal of most of the foreign peace-keeping forces from Kosovo, and after a failed attempt to forge peace with Serbia, Kosovo declared its independence. Only 112 UN member states have recognized this independence and Serbia still objects to political recognition of this status.

Who benefits?

The deal signed at the White House was the first sign of Serbian recognition of the government sitting in Pristina, the capital of Kosovo, but it stands on strictly economic foundations. Although it is not a political resolution to bury hostilities, the idea behind the agreement – economic cooperation, easing of travel restrictions between Kosovo and Serbia, and greater freedom of movement for goods – could lead to greater willingness in the future from both sides to come to a resolution.

The pressure applied by the US and EU to reach an agreement found both respective leaders at a sensitive juncture. On one hand, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and his government have faced unprecedented anti-government protests and a significant decrease in popularity in the polls. On the other hand, the past of Kosovo's President Hashim Thaçi, as a former senior commander in the KLA, has come back to haunt him in the form of war crime allegations.

"For the Kosovar prime minister, this accord is tremendously good tidings to bring home, and not in the least because Israel now recognizes Kosovo after all these years in which Kosovo has begged and wished for such a thing," said Orel Beilinson, a historian from Yale University.

"For Vucic, this is an exceedingly modest achievement, if not too modest, whereby for now he doesn't have to recognize Kosovo politically and can tell his supporters that he essentially prevented Trump from recognizing Kosovo's independence," explained Beilinson.

"But all this isn't enough. I don't think there will be war, but Vucic will have to work hard to think of his next step in the domestic arena to salvage his rule. He was elected, in large part, to institute economic liberalization and make inroads toward EU membership. The economic progress has been stunted and the attempt to normalize economic ties with Kosovo will soon cease when the next phase is political [recognition]. The EU won't suffice with economic normalization, while Serbian citizens won't allow him to recognize Kosovo but will continue pressuring him to join the EU," said Beilinson.

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Netanyahu's statement came shortly after US President Donald Trump made a similar announcement in Washington, where he met with leaders of Serbia and Kosovo as they agreed to normalize economic ties between them.

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Netanyahu thanked the president of Serbia for moving the embassy to Jerusalem. He confirmed that Israel and Kosovo will establish diplomatic relations and said Pristina also will open its embassy in Jerusalem.

"Kosovo will be the first country with a Muslim majority to open an embassy in Jerusalem," Netanyahu said in a rare statement issued after the start of the Jewish sabbath. "As I've said in recent days – the circle of peace and recognition of Israel is expanding and more countries are expected to join."

Kosovo's President Hashim Thaçi told Israel Hayom: "The mutual recognition between Kosovo and Israel is a historic achievement. As I await the opening of our embassy in Jerusalem, I am thankful to the United States for facilitating… a strong partnership between two sovereign countries. The people of Kosovo and Israel have forged ties that cannot be broken… Therefore, I believe that today [Friday] is only the continuation of a longstanding friendship between the two countries."

In all, a total of four countries now recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, including the US and Guatemala. The Palestinians, who refuse to enter peace talks with Israel or recognize the US as a mediator, claim east Jerusalem as their would-be capital.

Trump said Serbia has committed to opening a commercial office in Jerusalem this month and move its embassy there in July.

Serbia's decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem is a nod to both Israel and the United States. The Trump administration recognized Jerusalem as Israel's capital in late 2017 and moved the US embassy there in May 2018.

The moves are part of the Trump administration's push to stabilize the Middle East.

Most recently, the administration brokered a deal for Israel and the United Arab Emirates to normalize relations. That was followed by the first commercial flight between Israel and the UAE, with neighboring Saudi Arabia and Bahrain to allow such flights to pass through their airspace. Additional Arab and Muslim states, including Sudan, Bahrain and Oman, have been identified as countries that might also normalize relations with Israel.

After two days of meetings with Trump administration officials, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and Kosovo's Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti agreed to cooperate on a range of economic fronts to attract investment and create jobs. The announcement provided Trump with a diplomatic win ahead of the November presidential election and furthers his administration's push to improve Israel's international standing.

"I'm pleased to announce a truly historic commitment," Trump said in the Oval Office, standing alongside the two leaders. "Serbia and Kosovo have each committed to economic normalization."

"After a violent and tragic history and years of failed negotiations, my administration proposed a new way of bridging the divide. By focusing on job creation and economic growth, the two countries were able to reach a major breakthrough," the president said.

Kosovo's Parliament declared independence from Serbia in 2008, nine years after NATO conducted a 78-day airstrike campaign against Serbia to stop a bloody crackdown against ethnic Albanians in Kosovo.

Most Western nations have recognized Kosovo's independence, but Serbia and its allies Russia and China have not. The ongoing deadlock and Serbia's unwillingness to recognize Kosovo have kept tensions simmering and prevented full stabilization of the Balkan region after the bloody wars in the 1990s.

"These were difficult talks for us, but I'm truly satisfied," Vucic told Serbian reporters in Washington.

He stressed that the economic agreement does not include "mutual recognition" between Serbia and Kosovo. But he hailed the talks as a big victory for Serbia and a step toward closer ties with the US. Despite officially seeking membership in the European Union, Serbia has been forging close political, economic and military ties with Russia and China.

Hoti said moving ahead with economic normalization was a "huge step forward." He said rail links and various other major infrastructure projects discussed will bring an estimated $1.18 billion in major economic changes to Kosovo in the next three to five years.

Kosovo also agreed to a one-year pause in efforts seeking new membership in international organizations. And Serbia agreed to a one-year pause of any campaign against Kosovo's efforts for membership into international organizations and new recognition from other countries.

Serbia and Kosovo earlier okayed air, rail and transit agreements. Trump envoy Richard Grenell said US companies also could benefit from normalizing commerce.

"American companies were telling us they were pulling out – like rental car companies. Because if you rented a car in Kosovo, you couldn't drive over the border. You couldn't leave," Grenell said. "So we had American businesses beginning to pull back, saying it just doesn't make sense. And the Europeans were complaining just as much."

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On Monday, Vucic and Hoti are scheduled to go to Brussels to hold talks under the auspices of EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell and special envoy for the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue Miroslav Lajcak.

The EU has mediated the talks between the two former wartime foes for more than a decade, and the parallel US effort, although focused on economic development, has not been fully embraced by some EU officials.

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After the collapse of Islamic State's self-declared caliphate in Syria and Iraq, countries around the world are wrestling with how to handle militants and their families seeking to return.

The population of Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008, is nominally 90% Muslim, but largely secular in outlook.

More than 300 Kosovo citizens have traveled to Syria since 2012 and 70 men who fought alongside militant groups were killed.

"Today in the early hours of the morning an important and sensitive operation was organized in which the government of Kosovo with the help of the United States of America has returned 110 of its citizens from Syria," Kosovan Justice Minister Abelard Tahiri said at a press conference.

Tahiri did not specify what role the United States had played but a plane with a U.S. flag on its tail was seen in the cargo area of Pristina airport as the operation was ongoing.

When asked about the return of fighters to Kosovo and the separate return of a fighter to Bosnia, U.S. military spokesman Sean Robertson said, "U.S. assets were used in support of this repatriation operation."

"At no time did the U.S. take custody of the FTF [foreign terrorist fighter] detainees," Robertson said. He declined to provide further details, citing security reasons.

Authorities said among those who were returned were four fighters, 32 women and 74 children, including nine without a parent.

The four fighters were immediately arrested and the state prosecutor said indictments against them will soon follow.

After several hours at the airport, two busloads of women and children were transported under police escort to an army barracks just outside Pristina.

Police said 30 Kosovan fighters, 49 women and 8 children still remain in the conflict zones. "We will not stop before bringing every citizen of the Republic of Kosovo back to their country and anyone that has committed any crime or was part of these terrorist organizations will face the justice," Tahiri said.

"As Kosovo, we cannot allow that our citizens be a threat to the West and to our allies."

International and local security agencies have previously warned of the risk posed by returning fighters. In 2015, Kosovo adopted a law making fighting in foreign conflicts punishable by up to 15 years in jail.

The United States commended Kosovo for the return of its citizens and called other countries to do the same.

"With this repatriation, Kosovo has set an important example for all members of the Global Coalition to Defeat ISIS and the international community to follow. We applaud their compassion in accepting the return of this large number of civilians," the U.S. Embassy in Pristina said in a statement.

There have been no Islamist attacks on Kosovan soil, although more than 100 men have been jailed or indicted on charges of fighting in Syria and Iraq. Some of them were found guilty of planning attacks in Kosovo.

Prosecutors said they were investigating 156 other suspects.

The government has said a form of radical Islam had been imported to Kosovo by non-governmental organizations from the Middle East after the end of its 1998-99 war of secession from Serbia.

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