Albanian and Kosovo think-tanks begin significant collaboration for a common future
On Thursday, the Albanian Institute for International Studies held a roundtable with the participation of Kosovo think-tank Foreign Policy Club to discuss the future of Albanian-Kosovar relations. The roundtable also consisted of both Kosovar and Albanian experts in economy, politics, and culture.
“Since 2008 Albania and Kosovo have been on a quest to establish bilateral relations as two independent states. Yet, despite conditions of peace and lack of disputes, there seems to have really emerged an ironic case of two very neighborly neighboring countries that do not have an easy time establishing and consolidating bilateral relations and cooperation. And neither side is to be blamed. The past – the long separation and the long lack of communication between the two societies, markets and to a certain degree also between the two political elites – makes cooperation now difficult,” explained Dr. Albert Rakipi, director of the Albanian Institute for International Studies.
“There has been dissatisfaction with the level of communication between Albania and Kosovo,” stated Pirro Misha, director of the Institute of Dialogue and Communication in Tirana. “People always blamed Serbia as the barrier between Kosovo and Albania, yet this is not the only element. The purpose of these meetings is to brainstorm and identify what’s really beyond this rhetoric.”
“It is important to generate dialogue on the bilateral relations,” added Michael Weichert, director of the Friedrich Ebert Stiftung in Albaniaء sponsoring organization of the initiative. “These relations should not be left to the ministries of foreign affairs in different countriesŠbut others should also address both the common interests and conflicts that come with the strengthening of relations.”
Political Implications
“There is a clear, strong inclination for consolidated and close cooperation shared by the entire political spectrums of both countries. Albania has had the opportunity to play a contributive role during the period Kosovo was not an independent country and it has to a considerable extent done so. The international community has always recognized Albania’s constructive role toward the Balkan region, although in the recent years, Tirana’s role has faded for a number of reasons,” stated Rakipi.
“First, Albania’s influence has naturally been reduced with the appearance of Kosovo as an independent state. Secondly, influence from Tirana, often with good reason, has been perceived as paternalistic in Kosovo. Thirdly, generally a weak “a mother state “with cyclic crises and political emergencies have diminished the role of Albania in Kosovo as well as its influence towards Albanian political parties in Macedonia or Montenegro,” he added.
To improve Albania’s weakening influence, Weichert noted: “One must see to what extent Albania could play an intermediary role between Serbia and Kosovo. Albania and Serbia have both acknowledged that Kosovo comes between them and their relations. Since Albania has always had a relatively constructive role in regional affairs, being a sort of interlocutor could be a possible role for it.”
“Albania’s efforts to strengthen its relations with Serbia, despite the latter’s position towards Kosovo, seem to have found a cold welcome in Prishtina. Albania must definitely not limit bilateral relations with Serbia because of Serbia’s relations with Kosovo,” Rakipi agreed.
Economic Implications
In terms of the economic progress in Kosovo-Albania relations, there was much debate over the idea, and indeed benefits of an ethnic market– an essentially single shared market of Albania and Kosovo.
“Now that Kosovo is an independent state in a less than warm surrounding, the natural inclination seems indeed to be that of economic integration with Albania. Yet, economics is one of the weakest links in the relations between Albania and Kosovo. In order to understand what appears as an anomaly in the relations between the two countries, one must first of all look back,” explained Rakipi.
“During the past century, the markets and the economies of the two countries have operated in complete isolation from each other. The trade links of the beginning of the twentieth century, as affected by long Ottoman rule, were disrupted for decades. Kosovo became part of the wider Yugoslav market and Albania progressively closed in on itself. The following precarious years of the nineties, as communist regimes fell, and as Yugoslavia reluctantly disintegrated, were also certainly not favorable to legal business.”
“In addition, for many decades, both economies have been mainly agrarian, and very often so at a subsistence level. Similarly to all other countries in the Balkans, the degree of industrialization in both Albania and Kosovo remains low to date and this hampers integration in the current globally lucrative economic sectors.”
“Thirdly, the markets and economies of Balkan countries are generally steered towards EU member states, and especially frontline ones such as Italy and Greece. Trade exchange among non-EU Balkan countries is still far from meeting its potential as markets remain poorly.”
“Strengthening economic relations between Kosovo and Albania is essential for the economic viabilities of both countries,” Rakipi concluded.
“Economic unity is priceless,” agreed Gjergji Buxhuku, director of Konfindustria. “It will lead to other opportunities.”
“Kosovo could benefit from Albania’s harbor and transport. In terms of Albania, Kosovo could help open up spaces for eastern economic cooperation; because from this aspect, Albania is a little isolated geographically. There are also benefits for both sides in terms of cooperation in education and research,” commented Weichert.
Though the case for a common market was made and will continue to be assessed, the reality of progress and current developments remains another issue.
“There must be a policy on both sides to outline ways of overcoming obstacles, such as border controls. The policy must be defined which will then show where to lead relations. To be honest, no policy has yet been discussed and there have been no developments,” stated Veton Surroi, director of the Foreign Policy Club in Kosovo.
Cultural Implications
Apart from economic and political integration, the topic of cultural integration will continue to be discussed at the initiative.
“For a long time there has been this assumption among Albanians, both in Kosovo and here, that ‘We are all the same, so why do we need to discuss this [bilateral relations]?’ But Albania and Kosovo are not the same; there are significant differences– not just in history, but in state organization and transformation. It is one nation, but they are two different states and this must be recognized. Even in Germany, East and West Germans realized that it would take a generation to overcome their differences. They too were one nation, but that didn’t mean they were the same.”
Misha also highlighted this element: “The fall of Serbian barriers brought the freedom of movement, but this does not mean movement of culture. Stereotypes existed on both sides of what the other was like. It is not easy to eliminate these stereotypes.”
The fact that Albania and Kosovo may be one nation divided by two states, has been used to fuel debate over the idea of a Greater Albaniaנa concept which has been perpetuated via media in the Balkans and Europe, but has yet to be clarified.
“While there is no doubt about the importance of strengthening the relationship between Albania and the new state of Kosovo, the Albanian public does not seem to support the idea of the unification of Kosovo and Albania. The so-called Greater Albania thesis seems to be far from the mind of the majority of the Albanian public. Only nine percent of Albanians believe unification of Kosovo with Albania is positive, versus 35 percent who believe that such a union is negative, and the 37 percent who are indifferent to this issue,” stated Rakipi.
This was confirmed by Michael Weichert as well.
“This idea is being discussed more outside of the Albanian proper. At the moment, it is being instrumentalized by other political forcesئor example, Serbiaشo create a fear of the idea that will help them with their policies,” stated Weichert.
“But, this idea will gain greater support if we do not allow Kosovars to find a greater perspective of their own statehoodŠIf Kosovo remains on the periphery of integration and its people don’t find some form of economic and material perspectives, then they will feel the need to grab onto the idea of Greater Albania. The same is true for Albanians in Macedonia. If they are not given the ability to develop, then we are self-fulfilling prophecies of a projection of Greater Albania, which wouldn’t otherwise be important in people’s daily lives,” Weichert warned.
The discussion of these ideas and more will continue between the Kosovar and Albanian think tanks, as the development of a clear roadmap for future bilateral relations is critical.
“The result of this initiative will be the formation of recommendations to related fields both in the state and private sector,” Weichert concluded.
