President Bush in Albania

By Janusz Bugajski
President George W. Bush is undertaking his first visit to Albania as one of his final European destinations following the G8 summit in Berlin. Before he leaves the presidential office in 2008, Bush is taking the opportunity to express America’s gratitude to several countries, including Albania, Bulgaria, Poland, and the Czech Republic, for their participation in the “coalition of the willing” in Iraq and Afghanistan and their support for Washington’s “freedom agenda” elsewhere.
Bush’s discussions in Tirana are likely to focus on three priorities on the security agenda: the Middle East, the Balkans, and Albania’s bid for NATO membership. In meetings with Prime Minister Sali Berisha and President Alfred Moisiu, Bush will try to reassure his hosts that White House strategy toward Iraq is on track despite growing opposition in the U.S. Congress and among the American public to prolonging the military mission.
Bush will also explain the dangers of the Iranian predicament without calling on Tirana to join any new military coalition against Tehran. However, he will also point out the perils that Iran can pose to all U.S. allies and NATO members and hence the necessity of constructing components of the anti-missile shield in Central Europe regardless of Russian opposition and European skepticism.
Tirana itself could offer to explore the possibility of hosting elements of the anti-missile defense system, as have Poland and the Czech Republic, or other facilities that will benefit NATO’s development and U.S. grand strategy in Europe and along its borders.
The U.S. President already has absolute Albanian support for the Kosova status solution recently presented by former Finnish President Martti Ahtisaari to the UN Security Council. Washington is seeking a unified Allied and European position toward Kosova in order to prevent policy divisions that will be exploited by Russia and could lead to renewed hostilities in the region.
The authorities in Tirana need to stress to President Bush that any prolonged delays in UN Security Council decisions over Kosova will lead directly to conflict in the region. The patience of the Kosovars and their trust in international institutions is wearing very thin. The last thing the U.S. President needs in his final year in office is another armed conflict or a failed state in the Balkans that would leave him with a negative legacy in resolving Kosova’s final status.
The question of Albania’s NATO membership is priority number one in Tirana’s foreign policy and this must be reinforced for Bush by the Albanian leadership. The President is likely to send a strong signal of U.S. support for Albania’s entry into the Alliance and a message of appreciation for Tirana’s contributions to current NATO and American missions.
However, the Bush trip also provides an opportunity for Albania to demonstrate that its foreign and security ambitions do not begin and end with NATO accession, but that the authorities are developing an active strategy to strengthen the Alliance and expand the sphere of security in nearby regions.
In this regard, Albania can play a more prominent role in building European and Alliance bridges with the Muslim world; it can contribute to shaping the region’s energy policy and Europe’s energy security; it can take a more active role in the emerging Black Sea strategy; and it can offer various forms of bilateral cooperation with the U.S. in counter-terrorism and counter-crime.
As a close friend of America, Albania also needs to be honest and straightforward in its assessment of U.S. policy. If there are criticisms or disagreements with specific American approaches in the Middle East or elsewhere, or suggestions for improvement, these need to be stated in private meetings. Albania or any other close U.S. ally should not be a supplicant but a partner. This too will better serve both American and Albanian national interests and will bolster bilateral relations.