Socialists promise to lobby for Kosovo if in power

TIRANA, April 21 – The main opposition Socialist Party said that a Socialist-led government after the next elections would be determined to continue lobbying for more recognitions of Kosovo’s independence and also to forge closer ties between the two countries.
The pledges were made last weekend at an activity held in Prishtina on “European Albania, in the region and the world.”
The Socialist Party also stressed that both Tirana and Prishtina should not focus on the nationalistic rhetoric but follow a completely different stance in the regional foreign policy that would serve as “generator of a more fruitful regional cooperation for the democratic stability and well-being (in the region).”
Socialist leader Edi Rama, who is expecting to become Albania’s prime minister following the forthcoming June 23 parliamentary elections, said that his cabinet will follow a different, more open policy in the region.
“We want to set as an indispensable part of our political behavior, from one side, strengthening of Albania’s profile as a factor of peace and stability in the region, and, on the other side, unification of the words with the deeds when talking about the values and principles promoted by our strategic partners, U.S. and the EU,” he said at the meeting.
He hailed the deal reached between Prishtina and Belgrade and also said that Tirana would take better care of the ethnic Albanian immigrants around the world.
Rama said that Tirana may better support Kosovo in its application for the visa liberalization or the recognition from the five European countries that have not done that so far. He especially referred to Romania and Slovakia, which are run from leftist governments.
Rama said that his governing will leave “to the archives” the nationalistic rhetoric of the Albanian Prime Minister Berisha, that is “trying to cover domestic failures and Šisolation due to the failures.”
During the celebrations of the country’s 100th anniversary of independence, Berisha angered neighbors with talk of “Albanian lands,” including parts of Greece, Kosovo, Macedonia, Serbia and Montenegro. Tirana later said his comments had a purely historical context.
Berisha also promised citizenship for ethnic Albanians worldwide נan offer he later retracted.
“Seeing Albania, Kosovo, Albanians in the region with the eyes of the future means, first or all, to understand the essence of what has occurred,” said Rama in Prishtina, adding that such a rhetoric could take the country backwards and threatened the ties in the region and with the partners.
Rama said that “we will unite in the united Europe,” meaning to understand the “union as a power that will make possible to see all life areas with a different eye.”
Rama also urged Europe to turn a closer eye on the western Balkan and promote it with more funding.
Rama also said that Kosovo would take “a new status” with the Socialists in power. Tirana will consider it as the main strategic partner and ally in the regional foreign policy and pledged to sign a treaty of friendship, cooperation and security with Prishtina, as it has done with other regional countries.
That will help both countries for better application of the cooperation in the political, economic and social fields, he said.
Rama also said they will try to do twice a year joint cabinet meetings between Tirana and Prishtina, also promoting closer ties in energy, education, agriculture, tourism and sport. He also pledged to unify the customs and leave aside the unfair competition between the businesses in both countries.
Appreciation of the legislation of both countries and also theirs with that of Europe would remain another area of future work.