Albania is still in the midst of a pandemic that is claiming lives every day despite the initialization of the vaccination procedure, albeit with a very meager amount of available doses. At the same time, half the country is under water as floods and rains have claimed thousands of hectares of land, put out of work several aqueducts and have forced many families away from their houses. However none of the difficulties have been insurmountable in the ability of Albania to play the giant in the international relations arena as it has been its vice in the past.
The curious news that citizens had to hear this time is that Albania had offered to be the mediation party in the very delicate and sensitive conflict between Greece and Turkey offering nothing less than a conciliatory bilateral meeting in Tirana. The reception from the Turkish side at least was courteous however the decision communicated is that the meeting shall be held actually in Istanbul.
There are multiple ironies present in what turned out to be a non-news. First and foremost Albania cannot play the arbiter or even to offer neural grounds to Greece and Turkey since it has a long list of unresolved bilateral issues with the first and a very uneasy relationship with the second.
Let’s take them in turn. Albania and Greece have an urgent need to resume their own bilateral negotiations over a long and arduous list of unresolved issues. The latest position expressed during the official visit of Greek Foreign Affairs Minister Dendias in Tirana was that the countries will go to the International Court of Justice at the Hague for the maritime law and delineation of exclusive economic areas at sea. This is however just one of he issues and Greece benefits from singling it out and dealing with it while leaving all other issues, towards which Albania is a more interested stakeholder, in limbo.
Turkey on the other hand is growingly seen as a rival model towards the EU. Prime Minister Ra has moved closer in his personal relationship with Turkish President Erdogan after his recent two days visit to Ankara. At the same time he has showered the EU with criticism over its covid-19 vaccine position vis a vis the region. The relationship between Turkey and Albania still harbors the quiet but intense inner difficulty in that Turkey is increasing its demands towards Albania to make away with the so called FETO supported educational organizations and it seems Albania is quietly complying.
This much would suffice to ridicule any attempt of the government friendly media to portray this offer of mediation as grand achievement in foreign policy and Rama as a potential difference-maker in the region. Albania is not only an uninvited mediator but most importantly an impossible one.
