Kosovo and Albania clash in distance for the idea of “Open Balkan”

In a long Facebook post, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama responded to many commentators from Kosovo who accused him of saying “his proximity to Vucicin”, among other things, wrote about Kosovo's refusal to be part of the “Balkan Open” initiative, which until several weeks ago was known as the Balkan mini-Shengen.

Rama wrote that this rhetoric does not serve Kosovo and its diplomacy.

The Open European “Balkan is not only the way of the future for the prosperity of the Albanian nation, as a European nation whose affiliation is in United Europe, but there is also a new and greater opportunity, on the road to recognising Kosovo from Serbia; as for one of many examples of the great benefit of the Open Balkans, who doesn't want to understand why the Open Balkans finally remove the border between Albania and Kosovo, let me tell me why they haven't taken it down to this day, those who have promised it with rage, and why they can't remove the open Balkans without an open border, of whom the <1> -- the Albanian strategic allies finally eat up to the Kosovo's strategic allies without support, the Balkan Prime Minister Ramaska. And for Western support for “Open Balkan”, Rama also refers to the German government by openly saying “the German government supports this initiative”.

Rama responds to critics, that “is not a traitor, but does not give up the Open Balkans.

Kosovo rejection

Regional co-operation wants all sides, but the Balkan Open process Kosovo opposes it.

The initiative for “Open Balkan”, so far only supports Albania, Serbia and Northern Macedonia.

Kosovo Foreign Minister Donika Grovalla refused to join this initiative, calling Kosovo's road to the EU aberration.

“As the Republic of Kosovo, we consider Novi Sad's initiative, in the meantime of “mini-Shengen”, and now of the “Balkan Open”, we consider it dangerous, because it is the impression that we have alternative to our common road as the region, towards the EU and the transfer of this message, we consider it more dangerous than the delays that may happen in the meantime, during our process of integration”, Foreign Affairs Minister Donika Garva has said.

Even the head of the ruling party's Parliamentary Group, Vetevendosje Movement, Mimoza Kusari-Lila, said that “all parties in Kosovo have voiced objections to the “Open Balkans initiative” (Open Balkans), as according to her, this initiative is “harmful” for the fact that Serbia is empty of this initiative.

For us, it has absolutely been a process that has not been supported from the beginning and considered a process, the first parallel and the second harmful when Serbia becomes the axe of an initiative, such as the case of the émini-Shengenün and (now) BalkanOpen <1>, Mimoza Kusari-Lila said after a meeting of the Kosovo Parliament's Headship.

Washington's agreement was signed in the presence of former US President Donald Trump, September 4, 2020

Kosovo has promised, that it would join, “mini-Shengen” in the Washington Agreement, signed on September 4th 2020 in the White House by former Kosovo Prime Minister Avdullah Hoti and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, which in two separate documents was signed in the presence of former President Donald Trump.

In the Kosovo Assembly on 6 August, a resolution was not adopted urging the Kosovo government to implement the Washington Agreement. During the vote on this resolution, which under the laws in Kosovo are not binding but expresses political will, the deputies of the ruling Vetevendosje Movement abstained.

The idea of <x0mini-Shengen” was presented in Novi Sad of Serbia on 10 October 2019 by leaders of Serbia, Northern Macedonia and Albania.

On 29 July 2021, at an economic forum held in Skopje, this initiative was changed to <x0-2>Open Balkan” and Albania's Prime Minister Edi Rama, North Macedonia's Zoran Zaev and Serbia's president, Aleksandar Vuciq, called on all countries in the region to join this initiative. /dw/