Swiss news agency Neue Zürcher Zeitung published an article on the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia, “correction of borders” and “unification of Albanians.”
According to this news agency, a day does not pass in Western Balkans without politicians’ mentioning possible territorial swap between Kosovo and Serbia. This reportedly can be part of an agreement that would end a ten-year conflict.
“For years, the West was categorically against border changes in Balkans. However, for several months now, many EU countries and the U.S. appear to move away from this position: the main issue is for Belgrade and Pristina to reach an agreement, notes the article.
Albania’s Prime Minister Edi Rama, notes the article further, is also open for a change of the border line between Kosovo and Serbia, inhabited mainly by Albanians.
“This is a natural thing,” PM Rama is quoted as saying adding that Kosovo’s borders with Montenegro and Northern Macedonia were also redefined lately.
While as far as an eventual agreement between the two countries is concerned, Rama said that Albania is not involved in the negotiations between Kosovo and Serbia.
“As far as what would the agreement contain, it is for Kosovo and Serbia to decide,” he said.
However, according to Neue Zürcher Zeitung, the precise content of an agreement remains unclear.
“It is clear however that above all, the U.S. is urging for an agreement. For example, in a letter addressed to the President of Kosovo Hashim Thaci in December, the U.S. President Donald Trump wrote that an agreement would be ‘within reach.” And recently, the U.S. senior official David Hale traveled to the region to hold discussions in Belgrade and Pristina,” recalls this news agency.
Talking about how the borderline should look like, Rama said “ethnic borders should be absolutely avoided.”
Kosovo’s President Hashim Thaci also talked about this.
“If Albania has something to say, the country will support any agreement that enjoys EU’s and U.S.’s support,” Rama said.
Except for the issues related to the agreement between Kosovo and Serbia and the issue of the borderline the news agency also assessed daily lives of Albanians and their getting closer during the recent years.
“Cultural and media exchange is strong. Nowadays, due to the connection with the motorway, Albanian coast can be reached from Kosovo in only about two hours journey.”
Also, according to NZZ, Pristina and Tirana appear to have stronger political relations during Rama’s mandate.
“Since 2014, regular meetings between the governments of Albania and Kosovo took place, and when Rama reshuffled his cabinet, he nominated two young Kosovans, one as Foreign Minister and the other as Minister of Education.”
However, according to Professor of political sciences Afrim Krasniqi, joint meetings of the two governments at least so far, have produced little concrete results. Therefore, according to Krasniqi, this is more a propaganda.
