TIRANA, Dec. 4 – The Albanian Institute for International Studies (AIIS), in cooperation with the Hanns-Seidel Foundation, held a conference titled ‘Albania in the region: policy, perception and outlook,’ on November 26, aimed at discussing current issues and challenges of regional relations, as well as the role of perceptions towards foreing policy.
Held at the Tirana Times Bookhouse, the opening remarks were made by AIIS Deputy Director Alba Cela, followed by AIIS Executive Director Albert Rakipi, Hanns-Seidel Stiftung Program Coordinator Nertila Mosko and Albania’s Deputy Minister of Europe and Foreign Affairs Sokol Dedja.
Dedja spoke of Albania’s EU integration process, saying that despite the latest decision – “or indecision” – regarding the country’s opening of accession negotiations, the government’s commitment to successfully implementing all reforms remains unwavering.
“This obviously applies to internal reforms – the justice reform, the fight against corruption and crime – while for the external reforms, we have to be more careful. We can not pretend as if nothing happened, because there have been tectonic shifts in international politics. In this regard, a mature reflection is necessary,” Dedja said.
He further added that despite the latest rejection by the EU to open Albania’s accession negotiations, the country’s EU perspective remains unchanged even by countries like France, with the only thing that might possibly change being the rhythm of that accession.
Naim Rashiti, Director of the Balkans Group in Kosovo, on his part said that a generational shift is taking place in Kosovo, as he remembers his generation celebrating November 28 as an Independence Day and now sees his children celebrating February 17.
“Albin Kurti won elections when he dropped the national unity front. The new generations, lacking the black and red symbol, have decided to make good governance and welfare their national symbol and have decided that’s what their country will be based on,” he said.
Milan Krstic, from Belgrade University’s Faculty of Political Sciences and Director of Communications of the Center for Social Dialogue and Regional Initiatives, said that Vucic tries to present the relations with Albania as a kind of progress for Serbia, to show how Serbia has changed and is changing the relations with the region.
However, he underlined that part of these improved relations is real.
“Serbia and Albania are overcoming turbulences from the past and this aspect can be seen in regard to the orientation towards the EU.”
Furthermore, he said the extreme nationalistic part of Serbian politics shows Rama as a security threat, with the goal of the Greater Albania.
He spoke of how Vucic is direct on the Kosovo issue, and says that Serbia doesn’t have any power there anymore, while giving importance to the mini-Schengen, which is supported by the government.
“Serbia sees possible economic benefits from investments and the potential of stability through the mini-Schengen,” Krstic said.
According to Vucic, Krstic said, the stability it creates and a bigger market will bring more foreign investments, while also having its own political benefits, with normalization of relations between these countries. In this way Serbia tries to be de-stigmatized, to leave behind the past, while also showing itself like ‘the good guy’ who opens up the borders, while Kosovo is implementing a 100percent tariff to Serbian imported goods.
Ledion Krisafi, researcher at AIIS, said that Albania’s policy towards North Macedonia has changed little in the last three decades. It has two main points: the inviolability of North Macedonia’s borders and territorial integrity and second, the euro-Atlantic perspective of the country. Albania has maintained this position even though it has national interest in North Macedonia. All this time Albania tries to maintain a delicate balance between good neighborly relations and on the other hand to support Albanians’ demands for more rights inside North Macedonia.
He added, 2017 was a crucial year, because the Albanian government supported directly and indirectly the LSDM party of Zoran Zaev in the general elections. Also it was crucial because after Zoran Zaev’s victory there was an attempt to raise the level of bilateral relations. This approach may have future repercussions, if the VMRO-DPMNE party in opposition wins the next elections.
On the economic part, the two countries are part of CEFTA2006 and this has had considerable influence in the trade between them, but still short of the expectations.
