Compromise is a very important concept, but it’s a word that doesn’t seem to appear in Balkan dictionaries, says U.S. Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Philip Reeker, Bureau of European and Eurasian Affairs, in an interview with the Albanian media during his visit to Tirana. The following is an abbreviated version of his interview with the daily Panorama.
Q: Did you talk about the Department of State memo on Albanian nationalism, which has been discussed a lot in Albanian politics?
A: As I know from all the time I’ve spent in the Balkans, you love nothing more than a drama. As I said last night in the TV interview, we don’t discuss our private diplomatic conversations. Our views on nationalism are very clear. We have seen throughout history, and the same remains true today, that nationalism and nationalist rhetoric is a dead end street. Nationalism can be dangerous and we’ve seen in the 1990s, certainly in this very region, how destabilizing that can be. So, we will continue to express concern when we see nationalist rhetoric from anyone. We’ll urge all of Albania’s leaders, right across from the political spectrum, to play a positive role and that begins by focusing on issues at home, issues that are important to the citizens of Albania. Nationalism is a backwards-looking force and we want to encourage looking forward.
Q: Mr. Reeker, there were rumors in Albania that you have lobbied for an American company, Vetro Energy, in the privatization process of Albpetrol. Is it true that you that you lobbied for that company?
A: That is not true. The Balkans has far more rumors that it can consume. The U.S. Government had absolutely no role or involvement in the Albpetrol tender.
Q: The GOA cancelled a pre-contract agreement with Vetro Energy and now is in talks with a Chinese company to take over Albpetrol. How do you see this, given that the interests of an American company are touched?
A: As I said, the U.S. Government is not involved in Albpetrol.
Q: Maybe it is a question that we go back to from two years ago – Ambassador Arvizu two years ago referred to Prime Minister Berisha as a statesman, having in mind a second protest the opposition was preparing on January 28, after the January 21 events. Albanian politics considered this qualification by Mr. Arvizu a personal stand. Does the U.S. Ambassador express personal views?
A: As I made very clear last night, the U.S. Ambassador is the personal representative of the President of the United States of America. It is surprising to me that analysts and the media spend so much time re-speculating on past events. I think what we need to do is focus on the future. Secretary Clinton was here on November 1st and highlighted the U.S.-Albania friendship, highlighted how we stand by and with Albania, our hope that the citizens of Albania can enjoy the same values and progress that we consider important, economic development, health care, employment, education. We’ve seen so much progress in Albania in the past two decades. If you think about the centennial that Albania just celebrated last November, let’s now talk about what we want to see for the next 100 years, for the next 20 years, indeed for the next year. I think people want to see roads and infrastructure – we’ve seen this incredible highway that I took when I was here last time, between Tirana all the way to Kosovo. We’ve seen Albania become in just the last few years a member of NATO. As I said, we want to see Albania become a candidate and a member of the EU. Albania joined the visa liberalization regime for the Schengen area. What we want to see is more opportunities for Albania to use these ties and these links so that the citizens have better opportunities. That’s what Ambassador Arvizu and his team at our Embassy are here to support – Euro-Atlantic integration, economic development, a strengthening of democratic institutions, including the institutions involved in having free, fair, and positive elections in June. And, as Secretary Clinton said in November, so that after those elections, the winners and those who did not win can continue to work together on behalf of all citizens of Albania. It’s very much the message that she conveyed working so closely with President Obama, and Secretary Kerry represents the continuity of our policy, not only for Albania, but for the whole Balkan region.
Q: Staying on the very close relationship between the United States and Albania, a special one compared to many countries in Europe and in the Balkans, could we soon have visa liberalization between Albania and the U.S., at a time when Albanians have respected quite well the Schengen protocol?
A: That is a question of U.S. law. It is an issue that is very much with our Congress, the legislative branch of our government, and the most important way to work towards that goal is to focus on economic development and the same reforms involved in your European Union candidacy.
Q: International representatives, such as yourself, when coming to Tirana, have found that the head of the opposition, Mr. Rama, is difficult in negotiations in achieving compromises. Your opinion?
A: Compromise is a very important concept. It’s a word that doesn’t seem to appear in Balkan dictionaries. To move ahead in the 21st century, to be competitive not only in politics, but in economics, in attracting investment, in achieving the goals that Albanian citizens have for themselves and for the future generations, they need to learn to compromise, and that begins with leaders and politicians.
Q: In Albania, there is an idea that elections are won by the party that has the visible or invisible support from the U.S. Embassy or the U.S. Government. As a NATO country, maybe that support might be more visible. Which of the forces do you support and find more fitting for coming to power?
A: The U.S. supports no political force or party. What we support is democracy, the values of democracy and democratic institutions. We support a better future for all of Albania’s citizens, and what we believe Albania’s citizens deserve are elections that are reflective of a NATO member state, that will reflect a democratic culture, and so we have shown that our support is for Albania the country, and we believe that all politicians, all leaders should put forth the good of the country, the good of the citizens and their interests.
Q: Enlargement Commissioner F
