TIRANA, June 19, 2023 – Growing concern is being expressed in Albania over an increasing rift with Kosovo, as the Tirana government has adopted a critical approach toward the government in Prishtina, at a time of escalating tensions with Serbia over northern Kosovo.
Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama has taken a critical stance toward the actions of the Kosovo institutions. This disagreement intensified when Kosovo Prime Minister Albin Kurti continued to resist international demands on withdrawing officials from northern Kosovo, where recent clashes between Serbian protesters and peacekeeping troops marked the worst incidents in years.
– Joint governments meeting canceled –
Disagreements between Rama and Kurti then resulted in the cancellation of a scheduled joint meeting between the governments of Kosovo and Albania on June 14 in the Kosovo city of Gjakova.
These developments are regarded as a low point in interstate relations between Kosovo and Albania. The decision to cancel the joint government meeting has been met with disappointment, as such meetings in the past have yielded agreements and decisions that have benefitted citizens of both countries.
The night before the meeting was set to take place, Rama announced that he had requested a change in format from Kurti, which was not accepted.
“Given the deteriorating relations between Kosovo and the entire Euro-Atlantic community, this meeting cannot proceed as originally planned,” Rama said at a press conference in Tirana the following day.
The international community has urged the Kosovo government to withdraw special police forces from northern Kosovo, where a majority of ethnic Serbs reside, as well as to address the installation of Albanian mayors in the region, which has heightened tensions.
Rama has also supported these requests and called for reflection from Kurti. As Western pressure mounts on the Kosovo government to accept the creation of the Association of Serbian-majority Municipalities, Rama had announced he has sent a draft solution on the matter to French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The draft had not been consulted with Kurti or his government. Rama said the situation was becoming a “political tragedy for the Republic of Kosovo.”
– Kurti unhappy with Rama’s criticism –
However, Kurti and other officials in his government and Vetevendosje party have expressed their displeasure with the stance from Tirana, maintaining that rule of law, democracy and the country’s constitution take precedence over demands to give in to Serbia’s demands.
Kurti made it clear he rejects Rama’s proposal on the ASM. He flipped the script reminding Rama of his own constitutional commitments. Citing Article 8 Point 1 of the Constitution of Albania, according to which the prime minister has an obligation to protect Albanians outside its borders, Kurti told reporters at a recent press conference that Rama should propose his draft to Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to protect ethnic Albanians in Presevo Valley at the next meeting of the Open Balkan Initiative, where Kosovo is not a part.
“I have no doubt that Edi Rama believes that his proposal is good. That being the case, I propose that Rama propose this draft status to Vucic at the next meeting of the Open Balkans for Albanians in Presheva, Bujanoc and Medvegja. If you think it is something good, let him make it as a proposal for the Albanians who are there [in southern Serbia],” Kurti said.
– Tensions in northern Kosovo continue –
Kosovo has had an agreement with Serbia since 2013 on the establishment of an association of municipalities with a Serbian majority, but Prishtina has not implemented it over fears it will hurt the functionality of Kosovo as a state. The international community, on the other hand, insists that Kosovo establish the ASM.
The U.S. envoy for the Western Balkans, Gabriel Escobar, said last week that the association will be formed “with this or any future government” of Kosovo.
Meanwhile tensions continue to simmer in northern Kosovo and relations between Prishtina and Belgrade as Serbian police detained three Kosovo border police officials and refuse to free them despite international calls to do so. Kosovo authorities say the officers “were kidnapped” inside Kosovo’s borders. Serbian police said they “where arrested” on Serbia’s side of the border.
Albania’s government has demanded Serbia free the officers immediately.
