The IOC accepted Kosovo into the Olympic fold on Wednesday, clearing the way for the former Serbian province to send an independent team to the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro.
The International Olympic Committee executive board granted provisional recognition to Kosovo, which declared independence from Serbia in 2008. It will propose full recognition for Kosovo at the IOC general assembly in Monaco in December which should be a formality.
"The decision was taken by the executive board in the interests of the athletes in Kosovo and to remove any uncertainty they may have," the IOC said. "It will allow them to take part in qualifications for the Olympic Games Rio 2016 and in future editions of the games."
The move was opposed by Serbian Olympic officials, who had worked to block international acceptance of Kosovo. Kosovo has a majority of ethnic Albanian inhabitants. Serbia, which considers Kosovo the cradle of its statehood and religion, has refused to accept the breakaway province's independence.
The IOC said Kosovo met the sports and technical requirements for acceptance, including the definition of a "country" in the Olympic Charter as "an independent state recognized by the international community."
The IOC said Kosovo is recognized by 108 of 193 U.N. member states.
Normally, the IOC waits for the United Nations to recognize a nation or state before granting Olympic recognition.
Kosovo has not been accepted as a U.N. Member. While more than 100 nations have recognized Kosovo, Russia and China have not. Most European Union members have also recognized Kosovo, with the exception of Spain, Greece, Cyprus, Romania and Slovakia.
"Such a move would be a precedent that has never happened in history, considering that no national Olympic committee ever became a member (of the IOC) before the country became a member of the United Nations," the Serbian committee said in a statement Wednesday before the IOC decision was announced.
In order to be eligible for IOC recognition, a national Olympic committee must be affiliated with at least five international sports federations.
