KOSOVO PRESIDENT EXPRESSES APPRECIATION FOR MALAYSIA'S RECOGNITION

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- Kosovo President Dr Fatmir Sejdiu today
expressed his country's appreciation to Malaysia for Kuala Lumpur's recognition
of Kosovo's independence.

He said Malaysia was one of the countries that had recognised the
independence of Kosovo swiftly, by expressing its commitment to the freedom of
its people and the stability of the Balkan region.

"On behalf of the Republic of Kosovo, I avail myself of this opportunity to
express my sincere appreciation for the people and the state of Malaysia and for
other countries that have acknowledged our right to live in freedom and
independence," he said.

He said this in his special address at the Sixth World Islamic Economic
Forum (WIEF) at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre here. The three-day forum is
organised by the WIEF Foundation.

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak opened the annual conference which
brought together world and business leaders from the Muslim and non-Muslim
countries to meet and network in the name of business.

In October 2008, Malaysia announced that it had decided to recognise Kosovo
as an independent and sovereign country and would establish diplomatic ties with
Pristina at a suitable time. Kuala Lumpur said that Malaysia's recognition of
Kosovo would help meet the aspirations of the Kosovo people to have an
independent country.

Malaysia is the 52nd United Nations (UN) member to recognise Kosovo's
independence. Serbia, which objected to this, expelled Saw Ching Hong,
Malaysia's ambassador to that country, the following month.

Sejdiu also called on countries which have yet to recognise Kosovo to do so,
saying that by doing so, they would not only support the legitimate right of the
Kosovo people to live in freedom, but would also contribute directly to the
stability in the Balkan region.

To date, 68 countries around the world, including a vast majority of
the European Union member countries as well the United States, have recognised
Kosovo's independence and the Balkan country has opened 20 embassies and 10
consular missions overseas.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia on Feb 17 2008, a move opposed
strongly and declared illegal by Serbia. Kosovo's independence completed the
disintegration of the former Yugoslavia, where seven countries have been created
from the remnants of the former Yugoslav federation.

In his address, Sejdiu also took the opportunity to invite participating
countries and businesses at the forum to invest in his country, telling them
that Kosovo offered many opportunities to thrive.

-- BERNAMA