Border correction idea comes from Serbia's Greater project, Vuciq is Serbo grand

Dr. Sali Berisha, former president, former prime minister of the Republic of Albania, currently deputy of the Democratic Party (PD) in the Albanian Parliament, in an exclusive interview for the Zhurnal News Agency, has talked about political currentity in Macedonia, constitutional changes, the Prespa Agreement and the role of Albanian parties in the whole process. But not alone. Dr. Berisha in his interview for Zhurnal also speaks of the idea of correcting borders in the Balkans, the Rama Government and the Albanian “project for each Albanian”.

Jrunal: Mr. Berisha, Macedonia's Parliament began the process of constitutional changes to enable change of name and approval of the Prespa Agreement. Is the Prespa deal an act that should have happened earlier?

S. Berisha: First I would like to welcome the vote by the deputies of the Northern Macedonia Parliament on the Prespa Agreement as an act of historic importance for their country, peace and regional stability. The Prespa deal is the historic agreement, which could and should have been reached long ago. Its achievement hampered the sick nationalist attitudes of the two sides, and it had an undeserved price for the current citizens of Northern Macedonia. 

This agreement and its vote enable North Macedonia's NATO membership and the opening of negotiations with the European Union. It is also the most well-deserved response to Russian injections to keep northern Macedonia as their area of influence, which the Kremlin proved yesterday with its declaration that it will block the UN name change, the Prespa agreement. I hope that the amendments and laws necessary for the life of the Prespa Agreement will be completed as soon as possible and reflect the multiethnic realities of society in Macedonia, even in documents that will be ratified and deposited with the UN.

Jrunal: How do you assess the commitment of Macedonia's Albanian political factor in the process of reaching the Prespa Agreement, during the Referendum and later?

S. Berisha: I think the Albanian political factor has played an essential role in keeping with the western minority of the Albanian nation and their country's best interest in all previous and major developments. This factor, with its stance, made possible all these historic developments for Northern Macedonia, the Prespa Agreement, with the very high percentage of Albanians' vote for the final referendum and the historic vote in parliament for the Prespa Agreement.

Jrunal: At the time when all are seeking the path of integration into NATO and the EU, the actual ideas for exchange of territories are also. Is that a dangerous idea?

S. Berisha: This is nothing more than the idea of Great Serbia, promoted by Belgrade from the early 1990s to the visit of Serbia's Serb-Serbian Vucic to Gazivoda, Leposaviq, north of Mitrovica, served recently by Albanian-speaking workers, Belgrade's albanofob in Pristina. This is an extremely dangerous idea aimed at undoing Kosovo's independent state and threatening the peace and stability of the region in a violent manner. This idea has, fortunately, been rejected by the Albanian political forces in Kosovo, Albania and Macedonia. He has only been supported by what the media are now calling George Zography the second, Ervin Christaq Rama. But that's an idea without a future.

Jrunal: Mr. Berisha has at one time been the actual many ideas “Albanian for every Albanian”, where did this idea get?"

S. Berisha: In 1992, I as president of the Republic signed the decree, with which all Albanians wherever they lived could obtain Albanian citizenship. In 1997, after passing the opposition Democratic Party, the ruling Socialists, without rejecting my decree, passed a law with which they blocked the taking of citizenship from Albanians outside Albania. Following the return to power as prime minister, the government adopted a decision that all Albanians living outside Albania were known the right to their Albanian citizenship wish. Under the decision, for Albanians living in Kosovo this right should be regulated by an agreement between governments of the two countries, agreements that should guarantee Albanians in both states the right to elect the states they wanted or maintain dual citizenship. On the basis of this decision, thousands and thousands of Albanians living outside Albania applied and took over Albanian citizenship. After the Socialists came to power in 2013, the decision has not been annulled, but with an oral order it has been blocked and the problem of citizenship for Albanians outside Albania. Tirana's current government is the Albanophobic government, it fears terrible electoral fears by Albanians outside Albania. Reremember here that today Albania is the only country in the region that does not grant citizenship to its members wherever they live.

Jrunal: Mr. Berisha, Albania is facing many challenges, while you are saying that crime is prospering and the economy is stalled, Prime Minister Rama says it's all “Ok” and that the economy is “sits down”. Your opinion?

S. Berisha: This question requires a broader analysis and response, but I for its assessment am stopping only on an indicator that is the main one -- the opening of negotiations with the European Union. This process for Albania has been blocked for the first time for the last four years on three walls, whose archiact and builder is Edi Rama. These walls are actually:

•Might of organised crime, not one but several ministers and Rama themselves maintain close ties with major crime gangs, I am remembering here Tahiri's relatives, Xhafes, namely former minister and current interior minister, their connections to drugs.

•The power of corruption. This wall culminated with the law Field that parliament voted to forgive public land and given without competition the construction of the Theatre for what the European Commission itself intervened.

•The refugee camp. Due to uncertainty and economic situation, the past three years have fled as refugees to the European Union 320,000 Albanian citizens. I think that twice the opening of negotiations so in 2016 and 2018 are the most clear indicator of the situation in Albania.