Countries are being bribed, says Pacolli

"What I learned is that some of the smaller and poorer countries have fallen for such promises," said Behgjet Pacolli, according to Pristina-based daily Bota Sot.

Pacolli made this statement after the president of Palau, Thomas Remengesau, visited Belgrade on Monday and confirmed that his country has decided to suspend, until the end of the Belgrade-Pristina dialogue, its previous decision to recognize Kosovo.

Palau is the 13th state that has withdrawn recognition of Kosovo, making the number of those who support Pristina's unilateral moves (the 2008 independence declaration) fall below 100.

Previously, this was also done by Madagascar, Solomon Islands, Lesotho, Suriname, Grenada, Comoros, Burundi, Dominica, Sao Tome and Principe, Liberia, Guinea-Bissau, and Papua New Guinea.

Serbian Foreign Minister Ivica Dacic told Belgrade-based daily Blic that "Sherlock Holmes himself would be able to determine exactly how many countries recognize Kosovo."

"With a number of countries, no decisions have been passed," Dacic said, and recounted his conversation with a minister from Oman, with whom he "almost quarreled" because Dacic claimed that Oman had recognized Kosovo - while the minister said this never happened.

Meanwhile, Pristina's list of countries that have recognized Kosovo includes Nigeria and Uganda - which is not true, Dacic said. "You can forget the list of 116 countries, that's what's certain. And we have contacted to those countries that have not specified (their position on recognizing Kosovo) to tell it to us," Dacic said.