On Wednesday, President Vjosa Osmani announced Syria had recognised Kosovo as an independent state,   making it the third country to do so in 2025, after Kenya and Sudan.

“With the support of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia, Mohammed bin Salman Al Saud, today in Riyadh we reached an agreement through which the Syrian Arab Republic recognizes the Republic of Kosovo,” Osmani announced in a statement posted on Facebook, alongside a photo of her meeting with Syria’s President Ahmed al Sharaa and the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia.

Osmani expressed gratitude to the Syrian president, noting that both nations have endured hardship and sacrificed in the pursuit of freedom. “I thank President Ahmed Al Sharaa for the decision to recognise Kosovo and for his support for our people,” Osmani wrote.

“The people of Kosovo and Syria have suffered and sacrificed a great deal to achieve liberty. Today’s recognition is not only a confirmation of state sovereignty but also an acknowledgment of the sacrifices made by generations who fought to live freely,” she said, adding that she appreciated the Saudi Crown Prince’s role in facilitating the agreement.

The recognition was also confirmed through a Statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates of the Syrian Arab Republic.

“The Syrian Arab Republic announces the official recognition of the Republic of Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state, based on its strong belief in the right of peoples to determine their own destiny and its commitment to strengthening the principles of peace and stability in the Balkans and the world,” the statement reads.

President Osmani travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this week at the invitation of Mohammed bin Salman, to participate in the Future Investment Initiative Forum.

Following Syria’s decision, Kosovo—which declared its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008—is now recognised by 120 countries. President Osmani said the move shows that, “our Republic continues to move forward, and nothing can stop it.”

The last countries to recognise Kosovo before Syria were Kenya, on March 26, 2025, and Sudan, on April 12, 2025. Their decisions ended a four-year break in new recognitions, with the last coming from Israel in September 2020.