How can a state consolidate its sovereign statehood under the condition of external contestation? Analysing diplomatic discourse, performance, and entangled agency, this work provides the first account of Kosovo's everyday making of statehood. It draws on in-depth institutional ethnographic research and first hand observations to explain Kosovo's efforts for securing diplomatic recognition, joining international organisations, establishing diplomatic relations, advancing the Euro-Atlantic integration, improving the relations with its former foe and the region, and defending the interests of its citizens abroad. After conceptualising the everyday making of statehood, Visoka examines the origin and development of Kosovo's foreign policy before and after the declaration of independence in 2008, as well as elaborating the institutional setting and policy focus. He argues that Kosovo's success in consolidating its sovereign statehood lies in the assemblage of multiple discourses, practiced through a broad variety of diplomatic performances, which were enabled by a complex entanglement of different agencies and events. Studying the everyday making of Kosovo statehood, this book shows that contemporary state formation is a less pre-determined process, in which the agency of fledgling states, expressed through discursive practices and performative improvisations play a far more important role than is generally acknowledged. Drawing on ethnographical research, interviews with leading policy makers, and including the analysis of unpublished archival documents, this book contributes to the understanding of the particularities involved in constructing statehood, gaining international legitimacy, and overcoming external contestation.