Kosovo Added to CQ DX Awards Country List Effective 2/17/08
Written by Xavier, EA3BHK
Friday, 21 March 2008
(Hicksville, NY) March 21, 2008 -- Kosovo is being added to the list of countries and territories recognized for CQ DX awards, effective immediately, CQ DX Awards Manager Billy Williams, N4UF, announced today.
Verifications for contacts made on or after February 17, 2008 are acceptable for CQ DX Award credit. CQ DX Honor Roll members with 335 or more credits should update by May 31st for highest placement in Honor Roll listings.
The new 339 entity maximum will appear on CQ DX Honor Rolls to be prepared in early June. CQ DX Honor Roll listings prepared in early April will be based on a 338 maximum count.
All Kosovo contacts will count for field KN on applications for the CQ DX Field Award.
Kosovo's status has been the subject of some controversy in the amateur radio community as well as the world community, as the ARRL declared that special operations from there on February 17 will count as Serbia, not Kosovo, in terms of DXCC credit. The United States and many European
countries immediately recognized Kosovo's independence. However, Russia and China are opposed to it and Russia has threatened to veto any U.N. action to recognize Kosovo as an independent nation.
"We are aware that the ARRL has not yet added Kosovo to the DXCC list," explained CQ magazine Editor Rich Moseson, W2VU. "The League says it is waiting for Kosovo to become a member state of the United Nations or be issued a callsign block by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), a U.N. agency. However, because of geopolitical issues far beyond the realm of amateur radio, it is unlikely that the United Nations or the ITU will act on Kosovo in the near future, even though the United States and many other countries have granted it recognition."
"Because it is CQ's policy to grant credit for contacts with 'new' entities as of the date that their status changes," Moseson continued, "we have decided not to wait for U.N. action, but to follow the lead of the United States and other countries that have recognized Kosovo's independence, and to grant credit for contacts made with stations in Kosovo as of its independence day, February 17, 2008."
(NOTE: This action does not affect the country list for the CQ WW DX Contest. CQWW rules state that its country list is composed of those entities on the DXCC list and the WAE (Worked All Europe) award list. If the WAE Committee decides to add Kosovo to its list, it will automatically be added to the CQWW list.)
