The decision follows a similar verdict from the International Olympic Committee in October and Kosovo becomes the 214th member of the IAAF.

The announcement was made following a meeting of the IAAF's ruling Council in Beijing. 

"The IAAF has received and reviewed an application for IAAF membership from the Kosovo Athletic Federation," the world governing body said in a statement. 

"The application was judged to meet the requirements, as set out in article 4.3 of the constitution, and provisional IAAF membership was granted."

Besim Hasani, President of the Olympic Committee of Kosovo, was delighted with the news.

"I am very happy," he told insidethegames.

"Athletes of Kosovo can participate at European and World Championships and they were waiting for this opportunity to show their qualities.

"I am sure they will not let us down."

The Athletics Federation of Kosovo was founded in 1991 following the country's declaration of independence the previous year. 

A total of 17 Olympic Summer and Winter Sports Federations have now recognised Kosovo, including the International Judo Federation which officially gave Kosovo membership first in 2012.

FIFA, meanwhile, allows the country to play friendlies but not compete in tournaments.

But shooting, tennis and volleyball have yet to grant Kosovo any kind of recognition.

The IAAF's decision was angrily denounced by the Athletics Federation of Serbia, however.

Kosovo's application to become a member of the IAAF had been accepted even though European Athletics had rejected it, Athletic Federation of Serbia secretary general Slobodan Branković claimed. 

"An absurd thing has happened, the EAA rejected Kosovo’s membership application at our insistence, but it was accepted as a member by the IAAF today,” he reportedly told Serbia's state news agency Tanjug.

"The Athletics Federation of Serbia used every available legal means to prevent Kosovo from becoming a member of the EAA and succeeded in the end.

“Our obligation was to prevent Kosovo from becoming an EAA member and we succeeded.

"However, the latest decision by the IAAF allows Kosovo to compete at the World Championship in Beijing this summer."

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