Acting President of Kosovo Albulena Haxhiu said that even 16 years later, the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice, which confirmed that Kosovo’s Declaration of Independence was not in violation of international law, remains one of the cornerstones of the international legitimacy of Kosovo’s statehood.
Haxhiu said that the opinion, published on July 22, 2010, is an important reference in affirming the country’s statehood and subjectivity.
“Today marks 16 years since the publication of the advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice in The Hague, which confirmed that the Declaration of Independence of the Republic of Kosovo, proclaimed on February 17, 2008, was not in violation of international law. On July 22, 2010, the Court rejected claims that the declaration of independence had violated international law, concluding that the adoption of the Declaration of Independence did not violate general international law.”
“Even after 16 years, the July 22, 2010 opinion remains one of the cornerstones of the international legitimacy of Kosovo’s statehood and an important reference in affirming its subjectivity on the international stage,” Haxhiu wrote, KosovaPress reports.
Furthermore, Haxhiu said that the decision of the International Court of Justice represented a particularly important legal and diplomatic moment, strengthening Kosovo’s international position.
“This opinion came after Serbia asked the United Nations General Assembly for an advisory opinion on the legality of Kosovo’s independence. The Court’s decision represented a particularly important legal and diplomatic moment, strengthening the international position of the Republic of Kosovo and serving as an important basis for the recognitions that followed from many countries,” she said.
