Lauka: Tirana has unity on Kosovo border issue

Albania's former ambassador to Kosovo, Islam Lauka, says the debate on restructuring the borders between Kosovo and Serbia opens the debate on Kosovo's status.

In an interview for News24, Lauka also criticised the position of official Tirana, which it said has no unity.

The opening of this debate is critical. This debate should not be opened, even if someone tried to open it, in Kosovo, the official institutions, the president in the first place who is the chief initiator of this opening issue of borders should try to avoid it with all its options. And we Albania had to help him avoid it. Why? Because in my judgment, territorial issues are very thorny, very important issues, and it's hard to deal with consolidated states, not with Kosovo that is with fragile unstable institutions. But the main one in my opinion, Kosovo is now unprepared to deal with such an agravit. Opening the border issue for me is opening the Kosovo status issue. We have thought that with NATO intervention and the declaration of independence, the issue was closed, but there are others, some other capitals like Belgrade and Moscow that have always considered this issue open, and we are actually bringing water to their mill. And we're saying no, it's not closed. The main issue of borders is open. We're ready to discuss. For me, by this, the situation in Kosovo is destabilised”, Lauka said.

N24: As Albania's former ambassador to Kosovo, how do you see the position of official Tirana regarding the border issue?

Lauka: Official Tirana is not unique in the official stance. Because if we refer to President Meta, he has a firm, clear attitude against territorial changes. According to him, the Kosovo issue is closed. But Putin, and more specifically Edi Rama, puts some goat meat in the popular language. He has not come out in defense of this aunt, but in his speeches he often commends his aunt's authors and supporters. And finally, you know on November 26th, he said who criticises Thaci is a traitor. That won't comment. Let alone the rudeness of the expression, that criticising Thaci is neither a traitor nor a donkey, at a time facing Kosovo's prime minister, who is the number one opponent of the idea of territorial changes. Because Ramush Haradinaj says if this thesis is introduced, the borders are set to war and are changed to war. I support the president's principled stance and of course I am against Eddie Rama's stance. The least official Tirana must do is call on political parties in Kosovo to go for a word that should protect the existing, internationally recognised borders of Kosovo.

N24: But Vuciki's attitude about his visit to the United States that did not mention that part. . .

Lauka: Serbia's view of the public is that Kosovo was lost in 99 with the declaration of independence even more, and Serbia lost face. Now Serbia, Belgrade says I have a condition, to recognise it as an independent state, I want to be rewarded with something, for face to face in the world, and it has concreteized that. He put the North name on the river Iber, give it to me, and then I'll recognize you. In addition, there is another condition that has been fixed by the EU, which Serbia does not join the EU without normalising relations with Kosovo. And Vucciki again says I normalize them, but give me something, that I have no face to go out with the people with loss. That's logic. I guess the truth is somewhere else. Vucinqi and Belgrade are concerned with land and North underground assets. The section on the Iber River is one of the most economically powerful columns, is Weiman, the Copaonic who is crossing Serbia, Kosovo remains discovered.

N24: How is this debate being experienced among citizens?

Lauka: I live in Kosovo, as far as I know the opinion here, this issue has opened many problems. And it's one of the great bad things Thaci has brought. The opinion here condemns and is against this aunt. Everyone thinks this land is washed with blood, and bringing it to market for Thaci's interests, that can be positively appreciated. But it has also created divisions between the people of Kosovo and the Presevo Valley. It's created a state of expectation in them, they're high-minded, when we're joining together... it's easy to say "intervention of territories," but that exchange involves people's fate. Kosovo has no reason to endure additional problems, because even now there are many problems. Kosovo's task is to defend what we have, with entering territorial warfare today is risky and Kosovo does not come out and win. I won out Belgrade because it comes to us well today is to the advantage with Kosovo.