TIRANA, Aug. 26 – Albanian Foreign Minister Lulzim Basha said that a quick solution of Kosova’s status was a necessity dictated from the reality in Kosova and also in the interest of stability and security in the region.
“Kosova cannot remain hostage of an undefined status,” said Basha in an interview with Albanica magazine.
Basha said that the postponed 120-day negotiations should have a limit, after which other mechanisms should be in play.
The minister said that the report from U.N. envoy Martti Ahtisaari was accepted by everyone, including U.N. Secretary general, the U.S., EU and other international players, except Russia.
He said that negotiations now seemed to simply repeat what was successfully done before by Ahtisaari.
Basha quoted his U.S. counterpart, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, saying that the whole process should come to an end with Kosova’s independence.
Albania, he said, was closely following developments in Kosova and expressed his conviction that Kosova’s leaders were mature, united and in consensus to manage the situation in these important and historic moments.
“Albania’s stand on Kosova’s status is clear: an independent and democratic Kosova, oriented toward Euro-Atlantic integration, will be a factor of stability, peace and prosperity for the Balkan region and wider,” he said.
Tirana shares the opinion that long and unjustifiable delays of the status process would bring about unforeseen risks, with a high political and economic cost for Kosova and the region, and that it would destroy all achievements of the U.N. and Kosova’s temporary self-governing institutions.
“Until now we share the same stand with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon, U.S., EU and other factors that support the Ahtisaari plan as the only alternative which offers a fair, balanced and stable solution for a unique and unprecedented case, that would guarantee Kosova’s long-term stability and that of the region,” said the minister.
The solution to Kosova’s status will be its independence, he said.
The minister also repeated that Albania had no territorial claims on Kosova and would not ask for border changes.
“In that context we denounce any effort to divide Kosova that would encourage Balkan nationalism and return the Balkans back to its darkest times.”
Basha said that the patience of the Kosovar leaders and the people had been exemplary, “But such patience cannot last for eternity. At the end of the 120 days of added negotiations there should be created the conditions for including Kosova in the family of nations,” said the minister.
