A step in the right direction

Kosovo disagreements aside, the mere fact that Rama’s visit to Belgrade took place is a step in the right direction, as a clear point was made, ideas were discussed and concrete agreements were reached.
TIRANA TIMES EDITORIAL
The fact that Albania’s prime minister, Edi Rama, has made the first official visit to Belgrade in nearly seven decades cannot be overshadowed by a predictable public spat over Kosovo.
Despite the fact that much of the focus of the international and domestic media has been on those few minutes of a very public disagreement at a press conference between the two prime ministers, one must not lose focus of the bigger picture: The visit was a first positive step to promote cooperation demanded by the need of the region to move forward toward a shared European futures. The goal of breaking the ice in bilateral relations as part of a joint European integration path has been achieved.
Both prime ministers are working in an international environment where there were pressures both for and against the visit. There are clearly those that would like Serbia to take another course — toward Russia and the East, rather than toward the EU and the West. As this newspaper goes to press, Russian military forces are participating in joint military exercises with their Serbian counterparts just a few kilometers away from the Kosovo border, for example.
Friendly gestures to historic ally Russia aside, more Serbs believe in an EU future than do not. And a European Serbia that is on friendly terms with Albania is good for the region and beyond.
The top EU and U.S. representatives for foreign affairs have issued statements commending the two prime ministers for meeting and opening a new phase in the relations between the two countries. And the two countries’ leaders themselves appear largely happy with the visit, with the exception of the Kosovo spat, and are calling for further cooperation.
The Serbian prime minister, Aleksandar Vucic, expressed hope that pragmatic relations between the two countries would focus on progress of not only mutual political and economic relations, but also on the progress of relations in the entire region, according to a Serbian government statement.
Rama went even further at an economic forum in Belgrade, calling for a joint regional market, with all the markings of a mini-EU.
Albania and Serbia need to pragmatic. They need to deal with things sensibly and realistically. Economic cooperation is a starting point. There is no reason why Albania, Serbia and every other country in the Western Balkans cannot join in a regional common market with strong binding political elements as they wait for full EU membership over the next decade.
The visit has been fruitful in that regard. The two countries signed three agreements that allow travel with IDs only, expanding on agreements Albania has with all the other Western Balkan states, with the exception of Bosnia and Herzegovina. There was clear agreement on youth cooperation, that will offer the ability of the countries students to, among other things, study in each-others’ universities and gain diplomas that are recognized by both countries.
Instead of being perceived enemies of each-other, Albania and Serbia should tacked shared enemies like poverty, unemployment, lack of prospects for young people, public debt and deficits that are inherited from the past, as Rama pointed out in his visit.
Kosovo, the root of much of the recent enmity between to the nations, has always been the elephant in the room between Albania and Serbia, and it was unreasonable of the Serbian side to expect the Albanian prime minister not to mention its independence. That aside, however, both sides have largely agree to disagree on that point and want to look to other areas for cooperation.
Most Serbs realize that they have lost Kosovo. It’s a fact. The international balance shifted on the side of Prishtina a long time ago, whether Belgrade likes it or not. Vucic comes from a more nationalist background than his recent predecessors and must face strong internal pressures from Serb nationalists over Kosovo. His reaction to Rama’s courage to call for recognition of Kosovo’s independence in Belgrade was to be expected. But Vucic also appears to be a pragmatist, realizing EU integration is ultimately the best option for Serbia.
At the end of the day, this was clearly not an easy trip. But it was needed. And it was a positive first step not only for the two countries, but for the region as a whole.