The International Amateur Radio Union (IARU) has announced that the Kosovo Amateur Radio Association, (SHRAK) has been accepted into membership as the result of a second vote by member societies. The action has no effect on Kosovo’s DXCC status.

Kosovo was proposed for IARU membership in 2014, but the proposal failed. Two affirmative votes arrived after the ballot deadline, however, and IARU Region 1 requested that the IARU International Secretariat conduct another vote, which did result in SHRAK’s receiving the necessary affirmative votes.

With a history that dates back to the days of the former Yugoslavia, SHRAK was reconstituted in 2012, when the government authorized the establishment of an Amateur Radio Service, and SHRAK established a training and licensing program. Vjollca Caka, Z61VB, is SHRAK’s president.

Special event station Z60IARU is expected to be on the air for the closing days of 2015 as part of the IARU’s 90th anniversary commemoration.