Who is preventing the removal of the Albania-Kosovo border?

The idea of free movement of people and goods between Albania and Kosovo is early. The first discussions between the two governments have started since Hashim Thaci was prime minister and later followed by Isa Mustaf and Ramush Haradinaj.

Although Albanian authorities on both sides of the border expressed maximum agreement on this start, it never materialised. The reason was simple: Serbia claimed that the removal of the border between Albania and Kosovo was the '%de facto creation of Greater Albania. And of course, neither the United States nor the European Union could allow a movement like this, which threatened to bring the Balkans back to the time of constant conflict.

But, despite years passed, the Albanian government did not forget the plan to enable free movement of people and goods between Albania and Kosovo. Three months ago, when Serbian President Vucic proposed closer economic co-operation among the six Balkan countries, where the initials would be Serbia, Albania and Northern Macedonia, Edi Rama insisted on bringing the issue of free movement of people and goods to the six Western Balkan countries, including Kosovo, to the negotiating table.

Rama, Vucic and Zaev agreed, among other things, to lifting borders between their countries, what will enable Albanians, Macedonians and Serbs to move freely, only with one ID card from one country to another, while there will be no controls and no stops at the border points between these countries. The same is true of goods.

Also, it was agreed to invite Montenegro, Bosnia and Kosovo to be part of this initiative, certainly without being imposed and respecting the will of any country to have such bilateral relations with any other countries.

So far it is unclear what the position of the new Kosovo government will be under the direction of Albin Kurti will be. But given Vetevendosje's expressed goal of joining Albania with Kosovo, it seems difficult for the new leaders in Pristina to oppose the latest, baptized Balkan Schengen initiative.

Perhaps Kosovo will not agree to have bilateral agreements for free movement with Serbia, as long as Serbia does not recognise Kosovo as an independent state. But that does not prevent Tirana and Pristina from signing among them the historic agreement to eliminate borders between Albanians.

A mission, which for years was kept blocked by the European Union and the United States of America, but now, under the umbrella of broader regional co-operation, enjoys the support of all Albanian partners. /Top Channel/