The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced on Tuesday that it has recognized Kosovo as an independent and sovereign state, the official Emirates News Agency reported.

The UAE government's decision to recognize Kosovo's independence was ""in accordance with its firm support for the principle of the legitimate right of self-determination,"" the report said.
Kosovo, a southern Serbian province where 90 percent of its 2 million people are ethnic Albanians.
Both Montenegro and Macedonia recognized Kosovo's independence last week, despite opposition from Serbia.
Montenegro and Macedonia — both seeking membership in NATO and the European Union — have been under pressure from the United States and some EU countries to recognize Kosovo's February declaration of independence. The two coordinated with one another in recognizing Kosovo on Thursday, Montenegro's Foreign Minister Milan Rocen said. ""This is not a decision against Serbia, but for our future,"" Rocen said.
The Macedonian foreign minister also suggested the move was inevitable.
""This is a move that corresponds with reality,"" Antonio Milososki said. ""We believe this (action) will not endanger our relations with Serbia.""
Serbia had threatened unspecified retaliatory measures if the two countries recognized Kosovo, which Serbian Foreign Minister Vuk Jeremic said earlier would be ""a stab in the back.""
Serbia has not had effective control over Kosovo since 1999, when NATO led air strikes that halted former Serbian leader Slobodan Milosevic's crackdown on ethnic Albanian separatists. For years, it was administered by both NATO and the United Nations.
Source:Xinhua