Egypt could withdraw decision to recognize Kosovo - report

Egypt could withdraw its decision to recognize Kosovo, the Belgrade-based daily Vecernje Novosti writes on Monday.

The report cites an article published several days earlier by one of the best-known and respected Egyptian and Arab journalists Abdel Latif El Menawy. The article in the daily Al-Masry Al-Youm was published under the headline, "Is it time to reexamine the (Muslim) Brotherhood's decision?".

Cairo recognized Kosovo on June 26, 2013, while the Muslim Brotherhood was still in power - only days before the Egyptian military overthrew President Mohamed Morsi.

Vecernje Novosti now writes that the blind alley Egypt has been led to by the Muslim Brotherhood by the recognition of Kosovo has been "somewhat improved" by the current authorities, as they have not yet, even five years after the recognition, established either diplomatic nor economic relations with Pristina, nor opened embassies.

The author of the Al-Masry Al-Youm article therefore suggests that Egypt could try to fix the damage and reexamine the decision made by the Muslim Brotherhood, made in order to please the United States.

Vecernje Novosti also writes today that it learned the Serbian authorities will in the coming months go through the list of all the countries that have recognized Kosovo in detail, to determine their own list of those who could potentially reexamine that decision, and that "a large-scale diplomatic campaign will soon follow."

At the end of last year, Guinea Bissau and Suriname revoked their recognition of Kosovo.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Serbia also said that officials from Oman, the Central African Republic, Nigeria, Uganda, Sao Tome and Principe repeatedly denied Pristina's claim that these countries ever recognized Kosovo.