Augustin Palokaj writes today that at the time when for the first time a joint meeting between the governments of Kosovo and Albania took place in Prizren, at the other side of Kosovo, elected mayors were pledging to do whatever the Government of Serbia asks them to. “Both were historic events for the fact they were happening for the first time in history but they also showed that there are still two realities in the territory of Kosovo”, he says.
Palokaj claims it is quite normal for governments of two countries to hold joint meetings and in this sense, nothing unusual happened in Prizren over the weekend. In fact, such a meeting should have taken place much earlier and without euphoria.
It is however a different issue whether this new form of cooperation will bring practical results, adds Palokaj suggesting that Kosovo and Albania should expand their collaboration on a number of fields such as fight against organized crime and corruption, money laundering, solving of politically-motivated killings and drug trafficking.
At the same time, events in the north, showed there are well-organised structures inside the territory of Kosovo which continue to challenge the state. Although these structures took part in recent local elections, they did so under the conviction that they were in that way helping Serbia’s integration in the EU. And indeed, Serbia will begin next week EU membership talks and will continue to have direct involvement in Kosovo affairs.
And while Belgrade has direct role in the north of Kosovo, Pristina and Tirana have no role at all in the Presevo Valley and barely pledged 100,000 euro for a hospital construction there in contrast to millions of euro Belgrade allocates for the north.
“While Prizren is the symbol of Albanians’ unity because of the history and the Prizren’s league and not because of Saturday’s meeting, Mitrovica has already become a symbol of Kosovo’s partition”, concludes Palokaj.
