Kadare says Kosova is lucky

TIRANA, Feb. 18 – Albanian novelist, a Nobel-prize long-time candidate, Ismail Kadare considered Kosova’s independence as extraordinary.
“Whatever we say is so vague, sometimes the language is not prepared for such rare events,” Kadare said in an interview to the Kosovar newspaper Express.
The writer said that Albanians managed to create in a century two countries, despite the backward situation and many other calamities happening to Albania and Kosova.
The writer appealed and warned the Kosovar brethren they should be very correct in treating their minorities, especially the Serb community. Kadare said that such a situation would be gradually cleared or “Kosova cannot function.”
He reminded them that without the rebellion of the Kosova Liberation Army its situation could last for long.
Luckily they were supported by the European community, hailing the advanced European opinion of doing such an act. For some time the KLA was considered a terrorist group. The writer also criticized the former communist regime of his homeland, Albania, saying that unless that regime was toppled Kosova would very likely still not be liberated.
“Communism fall was a pre-factor, something that happened by surprise. The fall of communism took away the foundations from the Serb occupation in Kosova,” he said.
Kadare openly turned down the Greater Albania threat saying that he had noted nowhere any wish from Albania or Kosova to unify in the near future.
“Albanians has clearly shown, in different forms, they have made a sacrifice, they have got rid of an idea circulating in an unorganized way,” said Kadare, adding there were no programs, offices, organization, open or hidden ones, to support that idea.
“Such an issue cannot be discussed when Albanians just got Kosova in their hands. I do not know that has been discussed in Kosova either.”
Albania and Kosova entrance in the European Union “de-dramatizes borders” and turns them into a second-hand factor, he said.
“It is fundamental that the Albanian people resolves their vital problems, gets healthy, strengthens, advances, creates high standards and all the other problems resolve on their own,” he said.
Fighting unemployment and poverty, reviving the economy in Kosova and Albania were the main direction where the energy in both countries should focus, he said, adding that upon entering the EU they will have other visions.
“The good thing for the Albanian nation is that the Albania idea coincides with the European one.”